Practicing Marriage
by Red Dahlia
Summary: When Nanao's family asks her to consider an arranged marriage, Captain Kyōraku decides to interfere. Contains spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515. Shunsui x Nanao.
1. Chapter 1

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515. Mild foul language.

The word _miai_ appears in this chapter. This is a custom in which unmarried individuals are introduced to each other, usually through a matchmaker. These meetings may lead to an arranged marriage.

This will be a fairly long story, with chapters posted once a week or so.

* * *

The tea was too strong. Nanao made a face at the taste, but brought a cup of it back to her desk anyway. The division was still subdued but coming awake slowly around her; the morning was drifting away.

She drew the file out of the drawer and set it in the middle of her desk. She'd delayed this as long as she could, but the longer she waited the more likely she was to be interrupted by Captain Kyōraku.

And this was something she really did not want to explain to him.

She opened the file without further hesitation. The first dossier had a large photo of a young, serious-looking man. His chin was soft and she doubted that his smooth cheeks required shaving more than once a week. He enjoyed breeding boars for racing and overseeing his family's estate. Gentleman's pursuits, things he probably only dabbled in. There would be managers and trainers and tenants doing all of the actual work. He was a man of leisure.

A soft man with soft hands and a soft life.

Her stomach twisted in knots. Could she really do this?

She was so absorbed in her problem that she didn't notice Captain Kyōraku's arrival until the doors to the porch opened wide and the scent of early summer swept in. He was already in the room when she looked up, closing the file and casually resting her arms on the desk.

"It's a glorious morning, Nanao-chan! The birds are chirping, the sun is sweet, and even the shyest flowers are opening." He leaned his hip against her desk across from her chair. He was smiling, his hat tipped back on his head. His chin was scruffy, the lines of his facial hair blurred; he hadn't shaved. One of his hands was pressed flat on the surface of her desk. It was large and tanned, with small scars visible if she looked closely, the remnants of a lifetime as a soldier. She knew his palm to be the same, scarred and calloused. He was not, for all of his legendary laziness and romantic flourishes, a man of leisure.

"It must be a rare day, since I'm seeing you in the office so early. What did the glorious morning do to rouse you?" She steepled her fingers, her elbows resting on the file she didn't want him to notice. Not that he ordinarily spared any attention for paperwork in the office.

He smiled wryly. "The birds that built a nest under the roof of my porch have had babies. Tiny, hungry babies that cry for food beginning at a very inglorious hour of the morning."

Her lips curved up. "I told you to move the nest," she said. They'd returned from a training exercise and he'd found nesting birds under the roof directly outside of his bedroom.

"I couldn't. They already had eggs. It would have been too cruel, Nanao-chan."

And he wasn't cruel when he could be kind. "Then I'd suggest moving yourself to another bedroom until the babies grow up."

He shook his head, his eyes warm. "I can't do that either, Nanao-chan. It's delightful to be able to watch them from my bedroom. Falling in love, building a home, having babies—it's a lovely picture, isn't it?"

She refused to think about him and love and babies, not when she had a folder like this on her desk. "Apparently it's rather loud, in addition to any loveliness."

He grinned at her. "It's a small price to pay. I can always catch up on my sleep later in the day."

She drummed her fingers together. "And when do you expect to take this nap? There is a great deal of work requiring your review and stamp, and since you're here so early, this is an excellent opportunity to begin." She smiled, certain he would leave now, running away from the threat of work. Then she'd be able to peruse the file in peace and make the necessary decisions before he returned.

But he didn't leave, instead shifting to the side of her desk and leaning in closer to her face. "Nanao-chan," he murmured close to her ear. "Why don't you want me here?"

She swallowed. "I don't know what you mean. Didn't I just tell you that there's a lot of work waiting for you?"

"You said that, but you don't actually want me to do my work now. Why is that, Nanao-chan?" His fingers brushed her cheek and she slapped his hand away with her fan.

"This is a unique approach to avoiding your duties. Trying to convince me that I don't actually want you to complete them is unlikely to succeed, however." She raised an eyebrow at him. He was correct about what she'd wanted, but she could bluff her way out of this situation.

"A unique approach can keep things interesting. What are you hiding, Nanao-chan?"

"Were you bored?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"With paperwork, sure. But it's hard for bonus money forms and ink ordering sheets to stay interesting over hundreds of years. I could never be bored with you, though." He grinned, his hand touching her hair.

She slapped him away. "Whether paperwork is interesting or not is irrelevant. It's your duty to the Gotei 13 to complete your work, and duty must be done." Her tone was harsher than she'd intended, but _duty_ was a concept that was crushing her down as of late.

"Duty is important, certainly. But so are many other things, Nanao-chan. What's bothering you, sweetheart?" His eyes were touched with concern, and she tipped her head away to avoid his gaze.

"Don't call me that. What is bothering me is your refusal to go to your desk and work," she said, giving him an exasperated look.

"Liar," he whispered into her ear.

She wet her lips, swallowing. "But what's bothering me is not about you, so leave it alone, please." Her voice slipped low, asking instead of demanding.

His voice matched hers when he responded. "Nanao-chan, one of my constant goals is to make sure that you have what you really want. How can I quietly go to my desk and stamp things, when something is bothering you so much?"

"You could go because I've asked you too, and because it's your duty." But she'd leaned into him unconsciously. She pulled back from him, and he stopped her with the caress of his knuckles against her cheek.

"That's not what your heart truly desires." He was close enough for his lips to touch the curve of her ear on his last words.

She pushed him away with a hand on his chest. "What my heart truly desires? As if that has anything to do with my work or my life at the moment. Yes, I want you to leave, although I would settle for you stamping things quietly at your desk, if you think you could manage that." She rubbed her temples, already regretting her words. He'd never leave her alone now.

"I don't like to see you so troubled, Nanao-chan. What's worrying you this much?"

"It's personal," she snapped.

"Nanao-chan," he said, and the gentleness of his voice made her shoulders slump. Maybe it would be better to have this conversation now and get it out of the way, so that it would be less shocking to him when the final outcome was public.

"I'm sure you've seen these before." She slipped the folder across the desk, turning her head to the window.

He opened it, flipping through the pages. "These are profiles of men from a matchmaker."

"Yes." She watched the trees outside rustling in the breeze.

"Are you pursuing an arranged marriage, Nanao-chan?" His tone was still gentle and even.

"My family has asked me to consider miai. I will be selecting candidates for some initial meetings. The process will be somewhat condensed due to the demands of my position in the Eighth Division. I will have initial meetings with several candidates and then select one that I would like to continue with in further match meetings." She closed her eyes briefly. Her eyelids felt heavy and her eyes burned a little; she hadn't slept enough last night.

"Your family?" he asked, and she understood his surprise. The Ise family was of the same lower-level nobility as Captain Ukitake's, but unlike his family, they'd had no idea what to do when one of the daughters of the Ise clan developed spiritual powers. When Nanao had accidently set part of the house on fire when her uncontrolled powers reacted to her nightmare with crackles of lightning, the Ise family had trundled Nanao off to the Shinigami Academy.

She didn't blame them for it; she'd been a danger to everyone around her. Without control of her emotions or her powers, she could have killed someone. The Ise family did not often manifest spiritual powers, and when they did, it was usually in weak quantities. Nanao was an anomaly.

She'd rarely returned to the Ise estate. Her parents had died while she was at the Academy of a ravaging fever, and she was not close to her great-aunt or her cousin. She'd sent that cousin a fine glass bowl on the occasion of his marriage and promptly put him and the Ise clan out of her mind.

Until he'd died. "My family asked. My great-aunt, specifically. There were some—some difficulties that arose after my cousin's death. An arranged marriage may resolve some of those difficulties, and I am the only one of an age to enter such an arrangement. My cousin's children are still very young." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, trying to gauge his reaction.

He said nothing, paging back through the dossiers.

"It will not impact my work," she said when the silence stretched.

He raised his eyes from the file. "I'm not concerned about your work. I'm concerned about you, Nanao-chan."

"There's no need for you to be concerned, Captain. These arranged marriages are very common among the nobility of Seireitei." She repeated the reassurance that her great-aunt had given to her and that Nanao had cycled through her mind for weeks.

"These arrangements may be common in Seireitei, but it isn't as if you've actually spent much time with the nobles who favor this system. Marriage is serious, complicated—"

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't treat me like a fool. I have a full understanding of how serious this is, and I am certain I can learn whatever is necessary to be successful at marriage."

He sighed, looking at the back wall. "You're very intelligent, Nanao-chan. I'm not doubting you, I'm doubting whether this is really the best solution for the situation. These difficulties you mentioned, what are they?"

She stiffened. "It would be inappropriate to discuss my family's private situation in detail."

He turned his head back to her, his eyes serious and shadowed by his hat. "If it is some sort of financial problem, it can be resolved without something as drastic as arranged marriage. It would be easy for me to give you the money you need—"

"Stop. It isn't enough for you to condescend to me about marriage when are you are a man that has never been married and whose relationships are normally short-lived. You also have to insult me and my family with your misplaced charity." She stripped the file from his hand with numb fingers.

"It's not intended as an insult, Nanao-chan." His eyes narrowed.

"What are you thinking? You can't give a huge sum of money to your female Vice Captain. Think of how it would look. People would say that I'd accepted the money in exchange for sexual favors, that I am your mistress. My family would be humiliated and their social standing damaged." Her words were hard stabs of sound.

"Yet it's fine for you to exchange yourself for money within an arranged marriage? That's not insulting to you?" His voice was soft, but there was no gentleness; he was upset.

_He_ was upset? He was the one who had demeaned her and her family. "Marriage is a contract. It is a bond. And it is the path that I have chosen to fulfill my duty to my family. Marriage is what's respectable and dignified here. What you have attempted to substitute is neither of those things." She stood, her back so tight it was painful.

"I'm not asking you for anything in exchange, Nanao-chan. I'm not asking you to sleep with me." His voice was still even but sharper at the edges. His eyes were dark and hot with irritation, not lust, but the force of his gaze struck her in the same way, and an answering heat pooled in her belly.

She stepped away from her desk, giving him a wide berth. She stood at the open doors to the porch. Her eyes met his steadily. "But if you ever did ask, how could I say no? How could I refuse you, after what you'd done?" Her eyes stung, but she told herself it was only weariness.

"Nanao-chan." He strode to her, cradling her face in his hands.

"It would taint things between us. Marriage is clean. It's an honorable transaction. It can be a partnership instead of a debt. That's why I've chosen it." She shook her head, pulling back from his touch. "I'll be taking a few days of leave at the end of the week, to go to the Ise estate and have my initial match meetings."

"And if I were to refuse to grant your leave?" he asked, his voice low.

She smiled faintly. "You've already granted it. You stamped the form last week. You don't look closely enough at what you approve."

He shook his head. "I don't remember that."

"I know." She'd distracted him deliberately when he'd been stamping forms, standing next to him and leaning over his desk to 'organize his mess.' He'd barely taken his eyes off of her, certainly not giving any attention to his paperwork. "For an observant man, you miss a lot. You just don't look closely enough," she said, a heavy stone of sadness in her throat.

He was certainly looking closely now, his eyes sharp on her face. "What do you want me to see, Nanao-chan?"

She shook her head. It was too late for that. "I'm going to the Fifth Division to have lunch with Hinamori-san. If you should feel so inclined, there is work on your desk waiting for your stamp." She bowed her head and turned away from him, walking out to the porch.

"Nanao-chan," he said, and she paused, glancing back at him. A tiny hope jumped in her throat.

He did not say anything else, and they stared at each other for a long moment, all of the things unspoken moving between them.

But possibilities were no longer enough; she needed what was tangible. "Goodbye, Captain." She left the Eighth, her shoulders square and her head high.

And if she heard a faint "Nanao-chan," behind her, she ignored it, and ignored the answering whisper in her heart.

* * *

Ugendō was quiet beyond a few fish surfacing occasionally in the pond. Shunsui landed silently outside Ukitake's bedroom, and peeked his head in.

Ukitake turned his head over towards the door. "Kyōraku. You're earlier than I expected." He dropped the book he'd been reading on the bed, shifting against the mound of pillows supporting him.

"Baby birds," Shunsui said, entering the room. "Where is everyone?" The house was oddly silent.

"I think there's been a miscommunication. Rukia went to the Living World, but Sentarō and Kiyone must think she's here, because they haven't come yet today. I think I have at least another hour or two before they realize their mistake." He smiled conspiratorially.

"Better make the most of it, then." Shunsui reached for the cup of medicinal tea on the tray by the bed; it was lukewarm. "Do you want another pot of this?"

"If you wouldn't mind."

Shunsui took the tray and went to make new medicinal tea. He gathered the powdered medicines, the sweet additive to disguise the flavor of the bitter powders, and the herbal tea, mixing them with the ease of long familiarity. Little had changed about Ukitake's treatment in centuries. Retsu would occasionally try new things, but they hadn't proven effective, and in the end she always returned to this formulation.

When Shunsui returned to the bedroom with the tea tray, Ukitake had stood and was making his way slowly outside. He lowered himself to a cushion, leaning against a post. A heavy haori was wrapped around his sleeping robe, although the temperature was comfortable to Shunsui.

Ukitake accepted the cup of medicine from the tray. "Thank you."

"Do you want anything else?" Shunsui asked. Ukitake's skin looked sallow against his limp white hair and his eyes were rimmed with shadows like bruises.

"No, I'm fine," he said.

Ukitake wasn't fine, but there wasn't anything Shunsui could do for him, so instead he set the tray near his friend. He sprawled out on the porch and pulled a sake jug out of his belt, filling a sake dish and taking a drink as he stared out over the water.

"It's a bit early for that, isn't it?" Ukitake asked.

It wasn't really the drinking he was asking about, it was the brooding. Shunsui knew that from long experience with his friend. "I messed up with Nanao-chan."

Ukitake sipped from his cup. The concern slipped off of his face. "You do that all the time."

"I really messed up with Nanao-chan."

"Oh? What happened?"

Shunsui dropped his dish next to the jug, leaning back on his hands and turning his head to Ukitake. "Nanao-chan's family has asked her to consider an arranged marriage."

"I know." Ukitake poured more hot tea into his cup.

"You know? What?" Shunsui was genuinely surprised.

"I received a very discreet inquiry from a matchmaker representing the Ise family. She wanted to know if I'd be interested in a match meeting with Ise-san."

"With Nanao Ise? With my Nanao-chan?"

Ukitake nodded. "Yes. I refused, of course, in the politest way. I made it clear that Ise-san would be an excellent choice of wife, if I was looking for one."

"You would have considered marrying Nanao-chan?" Shunsui was simultaneously shocked and annoyed; Nanao wasn't available to Ukitake, he should know that.

Ukitake gave him an exasperated look. "I was paying Ise-san a compliment and making it clear to the matchmaker that my refusal of a match meeting was related only to my work and my health, and not because of any perceived deficiency on Ise-san's part."

"Nanao-chan doesn't have any deficiencies that would make a bad choice for a wife." He was scowling now and he knew he shouldn't be, but he couldn't stop himself.

"I know that. I'm sure that Ise-san would be an excellent choice as a wife, if I were interested in having a wife. Which I am not." Ukitake raised an eyebrow at him.

"How long have you known about the arranged marriage?"

"Three days. Don't even say it. Ise-san deserved to handle her personal family matters in whatever way she felt was best. Telling you would have been a violation of her family's trust." Ukitake sipped from his cup.

"Three days." Shunsui reached for the sake jug, filling his dish.

"Don't use that betrayed tone, Kyōraku. Ise-san is not personally involved with you. She's not your lover or your girlfriend or anything like that. She's your Vice Captain. She's allowed to have privacy in her personal life."

He wanted to protest, to say that Nanao was his, but what Ukitake said was true, technically. He'd enjoyed the slow build of his relationship with Nanao, the pleasure of their closeness growing over the years, but they weren't lovers, not yet. "Why did the matchmaker contact you? Why am I not on the list of men for Nanao-chan?" When he'd seen the file of dossiers, all of the men had been typical young nobles without spiritual powers, raising boars and attending parties. It stung to know that Ukitake could have been in that file if he'd wanted to be.

"Did you want Ise-san to consider you for her husband?" Ukitake's tone was curious.

"That's not the point. Why would you warrant a discreet inquiry while I don't get anything? I'm closer to Nanao-chan than you are." He swallowed the sake in his dish.

Ukitake sighed. "Are you blinded by your nearness to the situation? The answer is obvious. Ise-san and I are of the same social class. Our families know each other. I am a member of the Gotei 13, which shows that the matchmaker is trying to make a good match for Ise-san, and taking her likely wish to continue in the Eighth Division into consideration. You are also in the Gotei 13, but socially you are of a noble class far removed from the one that Ise-san and I were born into. No matchmaker would imagine that you would have serious interest in marrying so far beneath you."

"Nanao-chan isn't beneath me. You aren't beneath me. The idea that the family I was born into would determine my friends, my spouse, my life—I can't accept something like that. It's ridiculous." It grated on him to hear his friend of hundreds of years speak as if there were a huge gulf between the two of them, and between Shunsui and Nanao. He did not, would not believe that.

"I'm not saying that you have to agree, only that it is the obvious perspective for another outsider like the matchmaker to take."

Shunsui leaned back on his hands, staring at the thin sliver of sky over the trees. "I don't like it," he said, weary. Between the baby birds, Nanao's announcement, and Ukitake's being considered by the matchmaker, today was already exhausting.

"I'd noticed." Ukitake's tone was dry. "But if we're talking about the arranged marriage, the real question is, why does it bother you so much? Ise-san is not yours, and you have no legitimate say in her private life."

It was a fair question and the answer wouldn't come to him in clear words. He remembered Nanao-chan as she'd been when she became his Vice Captain, accepting the badge of the Eighth from him with a solemn expression; Nanao-chan, who complained every year that he slacked off too much when the cherry blossoms fell, but still sat out with him often under the trees, making him stamp papers on her lapdesk; Nanao-chan, blushing prettily when she gave him chocolates on Valentine's Day, her eyes defying the 'obligation' written on the candy; Nanao-chan, who grasped his hand unconsciously when he reached for hers during tense scenes of the stage plays some shinigami put on; Nanao-chan, her tears falling on his lips as she leaned over his hospital bed, her small hands on his face, scolding him for his injuries—"Did you have to go that far?"; Nanao-chan, whose cheeks turned pink when he brought her flowers, her hands caressing the petals, even as she denied wanting them.

Nanao-chan.

"She should be. She should be mine." Shunsui narrowed his eyes at Ukitake, who inclined his head.

"I see. But Kyōraku, how far are you willing to go? Please don't interfere with her family's arrangements unless you intend to marry her yourself. The matchmaker made it clear that the Ise estate needs a large infusion of funds to continue. If you ruin her prospects without replacing them, her family will fall into that slow decline that's unfortunately common to the lower nobility."

"I offered her money this morning," Shunsui said.

"You're an ass sometimes." Ukitake shook his head. "Did you think it'd be so easy? You didn't consider the social implications of that."

"I don't care about social implications. I care about Nanao-chan."

"Your heart has the right intention but for a family like Ise-san's and like mine, it's unacceptable. We hold onto our nobility with the edge of our fingertips, and charity would push us into the chasm, ruining our social standing. And no matter the discretion, things like that always come out. Money has a stink that doesn't wash off," Ukitake said.

"I know it. I wouldn't have offered something like that to anyone else. But it was Nanao-chan." He remembered her as she'd been when he came in this morning, her brows drawn together, her shoulders straight but her head bent in resignation, her teeth worrying at her lower lip. "She was so unhappy. I just wanted her to smile. I—" He shook his head. "I'm an ass sometimes," he said finally.

Ukitake smiled. "Sure. But you've been an ass before, and you'll be one again. Ise-san will forgive you for that." He drank the last of his tea. "What do you intend to do about Ise-san's arranged marriage?"

Shunsui sat up. "Do you have the matchmaker's information?"

"Yes, but why? What are you going to do?" Ukitake sounded worried.

"I'm going to interfere."


	2. Chapter 2

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515, mild foul language.

Thanks to everyone for your comments, and for reading!

* * *

"What about this one?" Hinamori pointed at one of the profiles spread out on the table in a quiet section of the library. "It says he likes reading."

"It doesn't say what he likes to read. He could only read boar racing magazines," Nanao said, her chin resting on her hands.

"Maybe, but he could like to read some of the things you like. You could have a lot in common." Hinamori held up the profile over the empty space she'd designated for _To Meet_.

Nanao didn't think one possible thing in common equaled 'a lot' but she nodded and Hinamori dropped the profile in place.

"Great! That's one. How many more do you need?" Hinamori asked.

"There wasn't a set number, but the matchmaker suggested there should be at least three prospects to meet, and she would make further arrangements if I couldn't come up with enough."

Hinamori smiled. "That shouldn't be too hard. What about this one?" She flipped a page to face Nanao.

"He's too young."

"What? He's the same age as you."

Nanao shrugged but said nothing.

Hinamori leaned across the table. "Nanao-san, is something wrong? If you don't really want an arranged marriage, why are you going to match meetings?"

Nanao looked at Hinamori's earnest expression and guileless eyes. She smiled slightly at her friend, shaking her head. Nanao had wanted Hinamori's help with this selection because she would be upbeat about the process. Unlike Rangiku, Hinamori would not immediately reach the conclusion that the Ise family was in dire financial trouble. That was the truth, but Nanao hardly needed a repeat of the scene she'd had with Captain Kyōraku this morning. "I'm fine. I'm going through with the match meetings." She pulled the profile Hinamori had flipped closer, as if interested. "You said he's the same age as me?"

The worry cleared from Hinamori's face. "He is, and he likes boar riding. Isn't that adventurous?"

There appeared to be no escape from boars. "I suppose it is."

Hinamori moved the boar racer into the _To Meet_ pile. "I'm sure that one of these guys will be a good match for you. And everyone says that arranged marriages can be the best ones."

Nanao smiled faintly. "People do say that. Do you think it's true?"

Hinamori rested her chin on her hand, propping her elbow up on the table. "I think it's possible to have a good relationship out of an arranged marriage, because people do. If a matchmaker chooses people that you're compatible with, and you hit it off in your meetings, then you know that you're both interested in the same goal of marriage, so that makes it easier. Maybe it takes a bit of luck."

"I hope I have some luck, then." Nanao shifted the profiles on the table.

"I don't really know what it would be like to have an arranged marriage, though. I've known Toshirō-kun forever, and I couldn't imagine being close like that to anyone else. It would be hard for me to try to have a relationship with someone that didn't know about my scars." Hinamori rubbed her chest.

The scars on her body had faded with time, but Nanao knew she didn't just mean the physical scars Aizen and the Winter War had left on her. "I understand. It's a challenge to try to build intimacy with a stranger. I think it's difficult."

"Yes." Hinamori looked down for several seconds. "But I also think it's brave of you, Nanao-san. Striving for a new relationship takes a lot of courage."

Nanao smiled. "I don't know about that, but thank you, Hinamori-san."

"We'll pick out some great guys, Nanao-san, don't worry." Hinamori smiled, with her eyes bright and cheerful.

"Let's get to it, then." Nanao bent over the profiles, pretending an interest that she didn't really feel.

* * *

An hour later Nanao left the cool of the library and stepped into the warmth outside. She'd been grateful for Hinamori's help, for her optimism and cheerfulness, but it was a relief not to have to feign interest in the dull dossiers any longer.

Nanao walked through the street, deciding to cut through a park on her way back to the Eighth Division. In the grass and trees her steps slowed. She didn't want to go to the Eighth when Captain Kyōraku might be there; she didn't want to face him yet.

She sat on a bench under a shady tree. Perhaps she'd take the afternoon off and avoid seeing him at all before she went to the Ise estate tomorrow. Maybe she'd go over to the Tenth and see Rangiku; she was someone that Nanao wouldn't need to pretend happiness about the match meetings to and that could be a relief.

But maybe Rangiku would feel pity for her, and that would be unbearable. Captain Kyōraku must have felt something like that when he'd offered her money. For a moment she'd hoped he'd offer her something else, which made his offer of money all the more humiliating.

She refused to name the _something else_ she'd wanted.

Her eyes were tired and she pulled off her glasses to rub at them. She felt a breeze and a familiar reiatsu, but when her eyes opened a blur of colors was in front of her. She grasped her glasses and put them on quickly. It was a bouquet of flowers in front of her, many colors and textures, tied at the bottom with a flourish of pink ribbon. "Captain."

"Nanao-chan." Captain Kyōraku leaned over her, holding out the flowers he'd undoubtedly plucked from his garden. "I'm sorry about our argument earlier. I didn't consider appearances when I offered you money. I didn't intend to insult you or your family."

Nanao wet her lips and swallowed. It was always difficult to know how to react to these grand gestures. Her hands reached for the flowers of their own accord and pulled them into her lap. "Thank you for the flowers, and for apologizing." She felt a little as if she should apologize too, but she wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if they had a romantic personal relationship that she'd violated by agreeing to the matchmaking, but she still felt some guilt. "I know that your intentions were good. You were trying to be kind."

"The offer still stands, problematic as it may be. I want you to have the option available if you want it."

She nodded, acknowledging that. "I can't accept your money, because unfortunately the perception of my honor is more important than whether I have actually behaved honorably or not. And the standard of honor that noble society uses is archaic and based on appearances."

"I know. What people think happened has more importance to social standing than what actually happened. I don't like it, but I do understand it, despite my actions earlier."

She smiled slightly, gesturing at the bench.

He sat beside her and stretched his arms across the back of the bench. "Ukitake said that I'm an ass."

She laughed at that before coughing in a failed attempt to cover it. "I wouldn't want to disagree with Captain Ukitake's thoughts. He's esteemed for his wisdom, you know."

"Is he?" Captain Kyōraku grinned at her.

A wave of relief ran over her body. The two of them would be all right for now, and maybe they could still be friends, even after she took vows with another man. "I read it in the _Seireitei Bulletin_, and you know that you can trust things that are printed there."

"You're only saying that because they print your column." He turned on the bench until he was facing her, one of his arms still resting on the back of the bench. She could feel the warmth radiating off of his hand on the nape of her neck.

"They are an exceedingly trustworthy source of information," she said primly.

"Well, it's not as if they have any competition to compare them to, so you could say that they are the most trustworthy source of news, since they're the only one."

"Competition doesn't necessarily increase the quality of something." Nanao's fingers played with the vibrant orange petals of a flower.

"No? It's interesting that you say that, given that you are initiating a competition for your hand in marriage." His tone was light, but she glanced away.

"It's not a competition." She looked back at him, but there was only warmth in his eyes. Perhaps he was trying to be a friend to her, even in this situation he had been evidently uncomfortable with earlier.

"No? And how do you find the quality of your suitors in this non-competition?" He raised an eyebrow.

"They are all rather young and none of them have any apparent profession. Nearly all of them list boars as an interest, which is baffling." She opened the file and flipped through, reading as she went. "Raising boars, breeding boars, training boars, racing boars, reading boar magazines—I just don't understand it." She twisted to face him more fully.

"It's a sport for rich people, Nanao-chan. Men spend their money trying to outdo each other at the boar race track." His eyes were amused.

"At the race track? These are regularly held events? I wouldn't have to attend them, would I?" Her eyes widened at the thought.

He chuckled. "If you married someone who really liked boars and raced them regularly, it would probably be courteous to go to some of the matches."

She shook her head. "No. Hinamori-san's picks are out, then. I'll just put myself at the mercy of the matchmaker."

"Hinamori-chan picked your choices for the match meetings?" His brows rose. The pad of his thumb was touching her neck very lightly.

"Yes." She let the file slip out of her hand. It landed between them on the bench, a few pages peeking out.

"Why? Shouldn't you choose which men you'd like to consider for your husband?"

She traced the shape of a red rose in her bouquet. "If these are my choices, I don't think it matters very much. All of the men in the file are very similar. I wish—" she stopped.

"What do you wish, Nanao-chan?" All of the fingertips of his right hand were softly touching the nape of her neck, although she still pretended not to feel it.

She kept her eyes on the flowers. "If there would have been someone from the Gotei 13—someone who would understand and respect my work—that would have been better."

"There was no one the matchmaker could have asked?" There was interest in his voice and his eyes when she glanced up.

"Well, the candidates are self-selected—that is, everyone in the file is a man that's agreed to the initial match meeting, if I want to have one with them. So if there's no shinigami, if everyone in the file is dull and boring, that's because those are the kinds of men that are attracted to me." Her shoulders dropped slightly and she forced herself to straighten.

"You've got it wrong, Nanao-chan." His tone was low and silky and his fingers rubbed small circles on her nape.

"What?" she asked, surprised. She should tell him to stop touching her, but even this small caress sent electric sparks through her. She would be untouchable for him soon enough. For now she wanted to savor this feeling, as it would be lost to her in a few days.

"If the men in the folder aren't interesting to you, then the matchmaker has cast her net too narrowly. It's no fault of yours. It means that a man who should be in the folder is missing."

"Missing?" Her brows drew together.

He leaned in, drawing her towards him with a soft press on the back of her neck. She shifted closer. Her heartbeat was rapid and her breath caught when his cheek brushed hers. "Nanao-chan, will you do something for me while you're at your match meetings?" He murmured the question into her ear.

"What is it?" she whispered. She swallowed, barely breathing.

He was so close the warmth of his breath stroked over her skin when he answered. "Keep an open mind when you meet the matchmaker's selections."

"What?" She startled and pulled back to see his face.

His eyes were mischievous. "Will you try, Nanao-chan?"

The disappointment she felt at the nature of his request made her want to refuse, but that would be childish. He was trying to be her friend, and it wasn't his fault that she'd hoped he'd say something very different. "I'll try," she said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

He smiled broadly and she batted his hand away from her nape. "Thank you, Nanao-chan. I hope that your trip is rewarding."

"Thank you, Captain." She huffed out a sigh.

"I'll see you soon, sweetheart." His lips kissed her cheek momentarily before he flash stepped out of sight.

"Don't just do anything you want! You—" Nanao said to the empty air of the park. She scowled at the flowers and the file. Her skin tingled where he'd touched her with his hand and lips. She set the flowers on the bench and stood, straightening her hair and uniform ruthlessly. The file she tucked under her arm.

She took one step before she stopped, turned around, and picked up the flowers. They were beautiful, and it wasn't the bouquet's fault that the man who'd given it to her was a confusing, distracting problem.

Her feet turned in the direction of the Tenth; she'd feel better after relaying the day to Rangiku over dinner.

But really, what was he doing to her?

* * *

"What did you think of Imaoka-san? You spent quite a lot of time with him." Kasumi Ise sipped her tea, her eyes sharp on Nanao's face.

Nanao smiled at her great-aunt. Kasumi had survived losing her husband, daughter, grandchild and many others over the years. She'd witnessed the slow decline in the fortunes and standing of the Ise family as she'd aged into her twilight years. But Kasumi's will was still strong, her posture proud, her advanced age visible but worn well. She was an iron beam that the rest of the Ise family and the tenants of the Ise estate relied on for support and direction.

Nanao admired Kasumi for her strength. She'd been shocked when Kasumi came to her for help.

"He was very talkative. He told many stories about boars." Nanao rubbed her temples. The match meetings today required Kasumi's participation, as the candidates drank tea and made conversation with the matchmaker, Nanao, and her great-aunt. After tea Nanao spent some private time getting to know the individuals.

"Hmm. A self-absorbed man?" Kasumi asked.

"He did ask me if I followed boar racing, but otherwise he did not seem to take much of an interest in me."

"No? That's unfortunate. Do you think you'd like a second meeting with Imaoka-san?" Kasumi opened the file at her side to Imaoka's profile. "It says that he enjoys reading, did he mention that?"

"He mentioned it, but we do not enjoy the same types of reading material." Nanao hesitated. "I will not eliminate the possibility of a second meeting, but—"

"But he was a bore and the two of you have nothing in common." Kasumi smiled knowingly.

Nanao nodded, relieved.

Kasumi closed her file. "Nanao-chan, I know that I asked you to consider an arranged marriage, but if you truly do not like any of the candidates, you don't need to go through with this. We'll find another way. Your plans for diversifying our family's holdings and modernizing the estate are very good ideas."

"Ideas that require a large financial investment." Nanao sighed.

"We will survive, regardless of what comes from these match meetings. It will simply take longer to implement your plans." Kasumi's voice had a steel thread running through it.

Nanao did not doubt that her great-aunt meant what she said, but it was an unrealistic position to take. "We could raise the funds to enact perhaps one or two things on the diversifying plan, but those things alone would not be enough to turn things around here. The estate would continue to decline, and by the time Yoshi-chan and Naoki-chan are old enough to take over, it might be impossible to regain our lost social standing." Her cousin's children were still very young.

Kasumi looked away, at a fine tree painted on a screen. The room they were in looked well-maintained and would have fit in any wealthy home, but it was all that was unseen that was decaying. The roof leaked in several places and the repairs needed were expensive and labor intensive; the garden directly behind the house had been tended carefully in preparation for those matching meetings, but the gardens beyond were neglected and overgrown.

Tenants had left for more prosperous estates or jobs in Seireitei shops and houses, leaving behind small homes in desperate need of repair or tearing down. The Ise estate was famous for its excellent silks, but even that work and reputation had suffered of late as they were unable to reinvest the profit from the silk into new equipment and personnel.

It was an old and common story about the decline of the lesser nobility in modern times, but it was a story Nanao did not want to see written about her family.

"Don't worry, Kasumi-bāchan. That was only the second meeting. There's another meeting this afternoon. The matchmaker you selected has an excellent reputation. We'll continue this process and see what happens. I want to continue," Nanao said with her voice firm and her chin high.

Kasumi nodded. She smiled, but looked a bit sad. "You're a good daughter to this family, Nanao-chan. I'm grateful for your efforts."

There were weights between them—old, heavy things that could not be spoken. "Don't worry. We still have plenty of time." The corners of her mouth turned up. "We're on a slow decline, remember?"

Kasumi chuckled. "Indeed. Perhaps you'll be able to obtain a promotion in the time remaining instead of a husband. The base pay of a Captain is much higher than that of a Vice Captain."

"There aren't any openings currently." Not that Nanao would seriously consider leaving the Eighth. She'd accept a marriage with Imaoka the Boar Bore before doing that. But it was best not to think too closely on the _why_ of that choice.

"That's not true, Nanao-chan. The Kenpachi position is always available to anyone who can take it. Whether or not it would be wise to pursue such an opportunity, the possibility is there for the ambitious."

"Or the foolish," Nanao murmured and Kasumi chuckled again.

"There's still a little time before your next meeting. Do you want something to eat?" Kasumi shifted to stand.

"No, thank you. I'm going to go out to the garden for a little while." Nanao rose and walked toward the door.

"What should I tell the matchmaker about Imaoka-san?"

Nanao paused. "Imaoka-san is still in consideration for a second meeting, at least until the last initial meeting is over."

"Then I hope the third man is one that you're more interested in, Nanao-chan." Kasumi watched Nanao closely. "The matchmaker didn't name the third man yet. She was still making the arrangements this morning."

Nanao nodded. "We'll find out this afternoon." Unlike her great-aunt, Nanao did not hold out much hope. She left the dimness of the house for the brightness of the garden, her head bent.


	3. Chapter 3

******Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515.

Thanks for your reviews and comments, and thanks to everyone for reading!

* * *

Nanao had only been outside for ten minutes when she saw her great-aunt hurrying out into the garden. Kasumi waved her over and Nanao came quickly, falling into step beside her as they returned to the house.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Nanao asked, worried.

Kasumi shook her head, trying to catch her breath. "He's early."

"The man for the third meeting?" Nanao bent to remove her shoes on her porch.

Kasumi nodded. "Yes." She slipped out of her shoes. "Nanao-chan, why didn't you tell me?"

Nanao blinked. "What should I have told you?"

"That he was this fond of you. If I'd known, the matchmaker could have arranged this much better."

"Who is fond of me?" Nanao asked as they moved quickly through the hall.

Kasumi gestured for her to lower her voice. "The Captain of the Eighth Division, obviously."

"Obviously? He's here—Captain Kyōraku is here?" An odd fluttering of emotion and panic rose in her throat. Her feet lifted as if to run, but Kasumi had latched onto her arm with an iron grip and pulled her into the room she'd left earlier.

The matchmaker, Takahashi, was there, a professional woman in brown. And _he_ was there, dressed more finely than usual, with the pink haori on his shoulders an excellent silk and his hat absent. Captain Kyōraku turned to Nanao, smiling.

Takahashi made introductions, Nanao responding automatically. They sat for tea. Kasumi and Captain Kyōraku made easy small talk, responding to the matchmaker's occasional prompts with grace.

Nanao said nothing. She couldn't look directly at her Captain's face—if she saw any amusement or teasing there, she'd make a scene that would shock Takahashi and Kasumi. Instead she focused on his hands, his long fingers surrounding his tea cup, the scars on his palm that were visible when he gestured, the tanned skin of his wrists disappearing into his sleeves.

The others were staring at her. She hadn't been listening, and had missed a cue to speak. Her hands were clenching each other and she forced them apart; she was nearly shaking with fury. Still, she rose from her seat with her icy expression intact. "Would you care to tour the garden with me, Captain Kyōraku?"

Kasumi coughed. "Nanao-chan, isn't it a bit soon for that?" Private time for conversation between the couple was a part of these structured meetings, but the tea hadn't even been finished yet.

"I'd love to tour the garden," Captain Kyōraku said, rising and smiling easily.

"They have known each other for quite some time." Kasumi made excuses to the matchmaker as Nanao marched out of the room, followed at a more leisurely stroll by Captain Kyōraku.

"How far are we going, Nanao-chan? It's hard to take in the atmosphere of your garden at this pace." His voice was easy and amused. It was clear that he didn't feel any of the stress Nanao was under.

She didn't speak, leading him to the very back of the tended garden, far from the house. They could be private here, which was fortunate as several choice phrases were clawing up her throat. She spun on her heel to face him.

He strolled over until he was only a couple steps away. "I'm pleased, of course, that you're so eager to be alone with me, but I think you skipped a few steps, Nanao-chan. I've never participated in one of these meetings, but the matchmaker almost swallowed her tea cup. Your aunt is lovely, though, and there's a strong resemblance between the two of you—"

"What are you doing here?" She cut him off ruthlessly.

He tipped his head slightly, studying her. "I'm in the middle of a match meeting with my Nanao-chan. A rather intense match meeting, actually. Please be gentle with me, it's my first time." He smiled.

"This is funny for you? I'm glad you're entertained. What are you doing here?" Her voice spilled out, hot and bitter.

"Nanao-chan." He pressed a hand onto her shoulder.

"Don't touch me." She smacked his hand off of her. "This is a long way to travel for a joke. I suppose the temptation of laughing at me in my home in front of the matchmaker and my family was too much to resist? But this is serious for me. Leave, please." Her eyes stayed on his chest; her self-control was on a fine thread, and it could snap at any provocation.

"Nanao-chan." He reached for her again, pulling her closer.

Her hands came up to his chest like little talons, digging into him as she pushed away. She resisted his embrace, stiff and angry. Her hand shifted to use kidō on him.

"This isn't a joke, Nanao-chan. I came here to have a match meeting with you." His tone was serious.

Her kidō dropped from her hand. "Whatever you think you're doing—this is serious for me. This is my life."

"I know. That's why I came." He kissed her hair.

She stood in the circle of his arms, unyielding, but her eyes closed, her hands flattening against his skin. The texture of him was interesting to her fingers, his chest hair soft and curling under her touch. His skin smelled of soap and his garments of the wood that they must have been stored in. He didn't smell of the outdoors as he usually did, but these were not the clothes of a man who slept under trees.

These were the clothes of a noble.

Her eyes opened. "This is a fine silk." She rubbed his haori lightly.

"Yes, it is. But the silk that you're wearing is more beautiful." His hand stroked the fabric on her back, pale green silk with swirling white flowers.

"The Ise estate makes the best silk in Seireitei. At least, it used to." She tugged away from his embrace. Her anger had fled, leaving chilly resignation in its place. She stared at the dividing hedge that separated the tended garden from the abandoned ones. "Come with me."

She led him through the looping path in the hedge designed to hide the truth. In the next garden, weeds had overtaken the flowers. Grass broke through the stones of the path and dying trees were choked with strangling vines. She brought him to a stone bench next to a fountain with a broken fish statue sputtering water at random. The fish's tail lay on the path, dirty and cracked.

"This is the true state of the Ise estate." She gestured at the coughing fountain.

He drew off his pink haori and laid it on the bench, gesturing for her to sit. "It must have been very beautiful when it was tended. There've been hard times since then?"

She sat on the bench and he joined her. His thigh was warm against hers even through their clothes. "There are long explanations, but the short one is accurate enough: the Ise family ran out of money and our ways of doing business and making money are too old-fashioned to succeed as they are. The estate is decaying slowly."

"What are your plans?" he asked with serious eyes, and she smiled, although the conversation was grim. He knew her so well; of course she had plans.

"Estates like this one are rarely profitable or break-even ventures. The families that continue to live successfully in the old style have either so much money that they couldn't spend it in ten thousand years or have diversified their holdings enough to support the estate."

"So you want to diversify. Shops for your silk? Tailors?"

She nodded. "Yes. At least two shops in Seireitei, and we'd like to offer our fabrics for custom dying or ordering by the private tailors to noble families."

"You'll want a shop in the Rukongai's First District as well."

She drew her brows together, considering. "Do you think so? Expensive silks in the Rukongai?"

"There are some wealthy people that choose to live there, and people from Rukongai who've made a lot of money and spend it in the First District. Something like the best silk has an aspirational appeal for many."

She hadn't thought of that, but he was likely right. He was intelligent always and brilliant when he applied himself, although he rarely bothered with that. Battle could draw that brilliance out of him, as a dark and shifting light in his cold eyes. She did not like to see that.

"Nanao-chan?"

But his eyes were warm and concerned now. "The Rukongai. I never considered it. Thank you, that's a very good idea," she said.

"But the problem with your plans is that establishing that infrastructure is expensive." One of his arms shifted behind her, his hand resting on the bench.

"Yes. And we don't have the money for even one of the shops. We can probably scrape that together with a lot of effort, but the silk looms need repair, the weaving facilities are falling down, and we need better dyes." The list was far longer than that, but he didn't need all of the details to grasp the problem.

"So here we are, Nanao-chan." They faced each other on the bench.

Nanao met his gaze squarely. "Here we are. I am considering an arranged marriage while the Ise name and nobility still have some value. Why are you here?"

He studied her face for a few moments, his eyes soft. "I want you to consider me for your husband."

She nodded. Her hands gripped each other in her lap. "You want to rescue me from my situation. I understand. We've known each other for a long time, and you care about me. This idea of swooping in and saving me from the clutches of a marriage arranged as a business transaction must have a certain romantic appeal to you."

"That's not quite it, Nanao-chan." One of his hands reached out to cover her hands in her lap.

She shook her head but permitted his touch. "Thank you. I'm grateful that you care so much. Thank you, but no."

"What?" Surprise flitted across his face.

"I'm refusing you."

"I gathered that," he said, his lips curved up. "What I'm curious about is why you're refusing me so quickly."

She hesitated, wondering how much to tell him. "It's not fair for either of us. If you married me as a heroic rescuing gesture, I would always feel that there was a debt between us that I could never repay. And if you ever found someone that you genuinely wished to marry out of affection, it would place you in an untenable position. If the shine of the rescue wore off, you might find that you don't particularly enjoy having a wife at all. That's not the way I would want our marriage to be."

"Nanao-chan? Have you thought about our marriage often?" He leaned closer, his eyes intensely focused on her face.

She flushed. "That's not—I was only presenting relevant outcomes to illustrate my reasons for refusing you."

"So your refusal is based on concerns about my selfless motivations?"

It wasn't only that, but that was certainly the biggest reason. "Yes."

He grinned. "Then I have some very good news for our marriage prospects, Nanao-chan. My motivations for pursuing marriage with you are very selfish."

She blinked rapidly. "What?"

His smile widened. "I want to marry you for selfish reasons. It bothered me deeply to think of you marrying someone else."

"It bothered you?" Her fingers curled around his hand.

"Yes. The thought of another man holding you, kissing you, monopolizing your attention and perhaps forcing you to leave the Eighth—I didn't like it at all."

"You didn't like it?" A warm feeling spread through her chest, thawing parts of her that had been cold since the arranged marriage been suggested by Kasumi.

"No." His hand drifted from the bench to the center of her back. He drew her closer and leaned down to murmur in her ear. "I want to be the one to hold you and kiss you. I want to have your attention for myself. I want you to stay in the Eighth. I want you to stay with me, Nanao-chan. I want you to be mine."

She pulled back enough to see his eyes. One of her hands left her lap and hovered over his jaw, although she wasn't certain whether she would to slap him or caress him. "Selfish," she said, her voice softer than she'd expected.

"Very selfish. My motivations aren't heroic at all, Nanao-chan." His lips were so close to hers that she felt his breath touching her lips when he spoke.

Her hand stroked his jaw. His eyes could look like icy rain at times, but now they were heated silver.

"Marry me," he said, and she felt more than heard the words. His eyelids lowered and his lips pressed against hers.

She made a sound of surprise and his mouth slanted over hers, his lips gently persuasive, silky and light. He tasted of tea and something spicy. She liked his taste, liked the hot feeling of his lips on hers. His tongue ran over her lower lip, velvet and wet, and she opened her mouth further. He made a pleased sound in response.

She was absorbed in the kiss, in him, in a way that she hadn't expected. All of her nerves were sparking and alive, her body aware of all of the places they were touching, silk against silk and skin against skin.

In the ruins of her family's garden, they shared their first kiss.

When they parted for breath he pulled back slightly, studying her face. "So lovely." He shifted to draw her in again, and she moved her hand to his chest, holding him off. He stilled. "Nanao-chan?"

"Should we really do this?" Her brows drew together.

"Given that I've just proposed marriage, I don't think your great-aunt or anyone else will mind if we enjoy a few kisses in the garden."

She shook her head. "It's not that. Should we really consider marriage to each other?"

"Yes, we should consider it, and then we should get married." He brought his hands up to cradle her face but she shifted back on the bench, putting some space between them.

"I don't know if it's a good idea. What I'd anticipated out of this process was obtaining a marriage with polite distance between myself and my husband. That is, we would spend the necessary time together but otherwise have separate interests and activities. But with you—" She frowned. "A relationship like that would be impossible with you."

He moved forward deliberately, until his leg touched her knee. "Our relationship has never involved polite distance. Our marriage would be close, intimate." His voice dipped on _intimate_ and her tongue darted out to lick her lips.

"I know. That's why I'm not sure that it's a good idea. Marrying you has a certain appeal." That was such an understatement that she was surprised that the words came up out so evenly. "But I don't know what the structure of our marriage would be. We're very different people. I don't know how a close and intimate relationship would work between us." She'd held it back successfully for a minute, but pink color flooded her cheeks when she mirrored his _intimate_.

He studied her blushing face for a moment and then smiled. "I understand. You want to know what our daily lives would be like, to experience the marriage before you commit to it. That's a good idea, Nanao-chan, let's do that."

"What?"

"We'll practice." He wrapped his arm around her back and tugged her close again.

"Practice being married?" Both of her hands rested against his chest, but she was undecided about whether to push him back or not.

"Yes. It's an excellent plan. We'll spend a few days or however long you need living together, the way that we would if we were married. And when you're convinced that I'd be a superior husband to anyone in the matchmaker's file, we'll have another match meeting and then announce our engagement." He grinned, obviously pleased with himself.

Her eyes narrowed. "What makes you so sure you'd be a superior choice over the men that the matchmaker selected?"

His eyes were laughing even as he assumed a serious demeanor. "I'm glad you asked, Nanao-chan. It's important that you know all of the ways that I would be the best husband for you."

"By all means, proceed with this list," she said, waving one hand in a magnanimous gesture.

"First, I have a lot of money, more money than one person could spend on his own, more than enough money to enact your detailed and undoubtedly brilliant plans for this estate. And unlike some men, I have no qualms about handing equal access to it to my wife."

"Do you think that the other men would withhold the necessary funds?" It was a disturbing thought—if she went so far as to marry for money, only to be denied money, what would she do?

"I think it's very possible, unfortunately. It would be a point of power that your husband could wield over you, and some men would want that power." The laughter had left his eyes.

"But not you?" she asked, and her hands rested against his chest again, in that same uncertain posture.

"Why would I want something like that? I want my wife to be my equal. Money is good to have, but it's a boring conversation. I only want to have interesting conversations with you."

"That is a point in your favor, I suppose." She pursed her lips, considering.

"A point in my favor? I like that. Then it should also be in my favor that I'd never talk about dull things like boar racing in bed." He gave her a solemn nod.

She scoffed. "What sort of fascinating topics would you talk about in bed?"

His false seriousness broke for a bright smile. "There's so many things that I'd like to talk about in bed with you—"

Her hand covered his mouth. "Don't tell me."

His voice was muffled through her fingers. "But Nanao-chan—"

"I'll give you the point over the boar racers in the file." She drew her hand away slowly, but he only pressed a kiss to her palm.

"Thank you for that, sweet Nanao-chan, though I'm a little scandalized that you wanted to hear my pillow talk on our first date." His eyes widened in mock shock.

"This isn't a date," she snapped, a bit embarrassed.

"No, it's much more important, isn't it? This is a meeting with the intention of arranging a marriage." His hand came back to her cheek, his thumb stroking her cheekbone.

Her embarrassment faded in the tenderness of his touch and his words. "Yes, this is very important."

"Then let me share one of the more significant distinctions between me and those men in your file. I won't ever ask or demand that you give up your place as Vice Captain of the Eighth. I might ask you to stay off the battlefield, depending on the circumstances of our lives, but I would never try to take your work from you. I want you at the center of my life, in all spheres. I doubt you could enjoy that certainty with any of the men the matchmaker chose."

She'd thought about and worried over the possibility that many noble men would not want their wives actively working as a soldier. Even if a man said her job was fine before marriage, she couldn't trust that he would always hold that position. But Captain Kyōraku could be trusted. "Yes, that is significant. You can have that point over the matchmaker's candidates, as well."

He nodded. "Thank you." He leaned in, his voice dropping. "Will you practice being married with me, Nanao-chan?"

She glanced away, at the decrepit fountain.

"Nanao-chan." She turned back to him. "You told me that marriage could be a partnership. That was something that you wanted, wasn't it?"

She nodded, her eyes dropping to his mouth.

"The best partnerships are close relationships, aren't they?"

She considered that for a moment. In the professional realm, all of the Captain and Vice Captain partnerships that she considered high-functioning, good partnerships were close relationships. The exact nature of the closeness varied, but it was definitely a factor. "Yes."

"Then our marriage, which would be a close and intimate one, could be the partnership you want, couldn't it?" His voice was gentle and her eyes came back to his.

"Yes."

"Then will you practice being married with me, Nanao-chan?"

She didn't respond immediately. Her hands crept up from his chest to his shoulders, and he cradled her face with his large hands.

"Nanao-chan?"

"Yes," she whispered.

He kissed her, sweet and slow, and it had the weight of a promise. Nanao savored that weight, holding it close to her heart. Relief and excitement swirled through her and her hands trembled faintly.

"Nanao-chan?" he asked, pulling back, concern in his voice.

"I'm fine. I—I just—" but she couldn't find the words.

"This is important." He understood; of course he did.

Her eyes stung a little. She looked at the spitting fountain, the broken path with the abandoned fish tail, the weeds and the leafless trees. "Yes."

She wanted to tell him how much it meant that he'd cared enough to interfere with her meetings, to offer boldly what she'd been afraid to ask for from him. For all of his claims that his interest was selfish, his later reasons were almost exclusively focused on what she wanted, what her family needed, and what would make Nanao happy.

"I'm glad that you're here," she said. It wasn't enough, it didn't encompass nearly what she felt, but she couldn't name the rush of warmth in her veins.

"I'm glad too, sweetheart." He kissed her forehead and each of her cheeks softly. "My lovely Nanao-chan."

The breeze picked up, and it was dead leaves that swirled around them instead of cherry blossoms, but it made no difference to Nanao. She kissed him once, carefully fitting her lips to his, returning his promise with her own.


	4. Chapter 4

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515.

Thanks to everyone for your comments and for reading!

* * *

Nanao sat at her desk in the shared Captain's and Vice Captain's office in the Eighth. The sounds of late morning drifted in through the closed door. She stared at the pile of papers in front of her. Everything was ordinary—the sounds, the sights, the work—entirely, completely ordinary.

That was the problem.

In the garden yesterday with Captain Kyōraku, everything had seemed so right, like the pieces of a puzzle fitting together. But after they'd left the garden to finish the meeting in the house, those moments in the garden had begun to slip from Nanao's grasp into unreality.

When she'd finished at the Ise estate and returned to her quarters, she'd hesitated for a few moments over whether she should go to Captain Kyōraku's house. He'd asked her to come when they were still in the garden. She couldn't actually bring herself to pack her things and go. The Nanao Ise that color-coordinated her closet and organized all items by the size and use, the Nanao Ise whose books were all arranged by genre and then alphabetical order by author and title, she could not be the same person who had received a proposal of marriage, shared several tender kisses, and agreed to a spontaneous plan to live with her Captain.

_Practicing marriage? _ The very idea was ridiculous. As if the stability and compatibility of good marriage partners could be determined with a few days of sleeping over. But she had agreed to it. That was his fault, for being so handsome and confident and magnetic. He'd asked, with his intense eyes and voice, and it'd pulled at something in the heart of her until her _yes_ had splashed out of her overflowing emotions.

But that magic moment seemed so distant and unreal when she stood in her neat quarters that smelled of wood polish and books. What if she'd read too much into it? What if he hadn't actually expected her to come to his home with an overnight bag?

Just imagining the surprised look he'd give her was enough to push her into her own bed. She lay in the dark for hours, feeling for his reiatsu across Seireitei but retreating before he might notice her reaching for him. When she finally slept she dreamed of dancing with him in a decrepit garden under a full moon. She woke less rested than before she'd slept.

She did not want to see him; she desperately wanted to see him. In the ordinary surroundings of her life and work she couldn't imagine that the moment in the garden had been real. Perhaps magic was something he wore on his shoulders with his pink haori.

She needed some sleep.

There were greetings and giggles in the hall. Captain Kyōraku had arrived. Nanao stood, her hands pressed to her desk, wondering whether she could make it out the sliding door to the porch before he came in or whether she should go to meet him as a woman might greet a man she was considering marrying.

The door opened before she'd made a decision, her feet turned to the porch but her head to the office door. Captain Kyōraku stood in the doorway looking entirely ordinary in his uniform, and not like the high-born noble who'd impressed the matchmaker yesterday. The door shut with a click. "Good morning, lovely Nanao-chan," he said with a wide smile.

She dropped back into her chair, staring at her paperwork. "Good morning."

His footsteps approached her desk. She didn't look up, even when he stood beside her chair, his large hand resting near hers on the desk. "You look delicious this morning," he murmured near her ear, his hand tipping her chin up. He was going to kiss her; his intent was clear. She swiveled her head a quarter-turn toward him, until his breath warmed her cheek. He made a pleased sound, much like the one he'd made in the garden when she'd returned his kiss. But that moment had been extraordinary, and this was an ordinary day.

Her fan pressed to his mouth an instant before his lips reached hers. "Delicious is not an appropriate way to describe my appearance. I am quite aware that I do not look my best today."

He shifted back, pouting his lips to work out the sting. "You do look a little tired, but that doesn't mean you can't also look delicious. And you do look delicious to me, Nanao-chan. But perhaps you don't find me as delicious as I find you?"

"Delicious is not a word I would ever use in a description of you." She'd found him delicious to her mouth in the garden, but would never say something like that to him. Her tongue darted out to wet her lips, betraying her words.

"No? That's too bad. I would really like to be delicious for you, Nanao-chan." There was a warm thread in his voice.

"That's ridiculous," she said without looking at him. Her hands wrapped around the fan tightly.

He leaned his hip against her desk, his thigh brushing her arm. "I missed you last night."

She finally met his gaze. "It was late when I returned from the estate."

"I was still awake."

So he had reached for her reiatsu the same way that she had reached for his last night. "I didn't want to disturb you." She dropped her eyes to her desk.

"I wanted you to come," he said, and his low, burning tone sent shivers through her.

"Everything was so ordinary." _Confusing, _she thought, but when she glanced at him he nodded.

"You couldn't picture us together outside of the pattern of our usual lives. I understand. That's why we decided to practice first, remember?"

"Practicing marriage? After further reflection, I don't believe that's a good idea."

He grinned. "It's a great idea, Nanao-chan. Listen, let's try it just for this morning and see what you think. If you don't believe it's worth doing, then we'll stop, and you can turn back to the men in your file."

She leaned back in her chair, raising an eyebrow. "You're very confident about this."

"Yes, I am. I thought of the perfect way to illustrate a benefit you'll enjoy as my wife."

"And what benefit is that?"

He pushed off the desk, leaning over her in her chair. "It's something you've always wanted me to do. You've dreamed about me doing it for you. You've spent many hours fantasizing about me doing it." His voice was dark silk and a flush lit her cheeks.

"What—what are you talking about?" she asked, trying for scoffing but ending up whispering. She had so many fantasies about him, but he couldn't know that. Even if he did, he shouldn't know any of the specifics. She'd never discussed her fantasies with anyone.

The corners of his mouth turned up and she swallowed. "Work." He pulled away from her chair, indicating his desk with a grand gesture.

"What?" She blinked.

"I'm going to work, lovely Nanao-chan, so that you can understand the career benefits you'll have because of our marriage." His eyes were filled with mischief—he knew what she'd thought about fantasies, and he'd savored the tease.

She sat up. "You're going to work? Captain?"

"Yes. You do have some work for me, don't you?"

"Of course, I have work for you. There's some on your desk already. I'll bring more work over, if you're serious," she said, standing and rifling through the papers on her desk.

"Thank you, Nanao-chan."

He was sitting in his chair when she brought over the extra work. She eyed him suspiciously. "You're really going to do this work without any coercion?"

"I'm wounded, Nanao-chan. No coercion is required. But I could use your help. Many of these forms are very long, and you've read them already, so—" He waved at the high stack of papers, looking very innocent.

"You'd like me to summarize them for you?" She'd done this for him in the past, many times, usually while he reclined on the roof or in the park, lazily stamping papers on her lapdesk without looking at them.

"That would be wonderful, Nanao-chan. Please, come and sit with me."

"I'll get a chair." She turned away.

"You don't need a chair."

She spun to face him, her eyes narrowed. "What are you suggesting?"

"Come and sit with me, Nanao-chan. I'll be your chair." He motioned at his lap, grinning broadly.

"You want me to sit in your lap? The appeal for you is obvious, but how exactly is this supposed to be a benefit of marriage for me?" She crossed her arms, eyeing him critically.

"Think about it, Nanao-chan. With this one small incentive, you won't have to coerce me into doing work anymore, I'll be eager to begin. If you sit with me for an hour a day, think of all the time you'll save. You'll be able to organize the division more easily, take long lunches, and spend more fun time with me."

"That's ridiculous. If you want to impress me with the benefits of marriage, you should do your work without any incentive."

He rubbed his chin. "I could do that, but it would be a bit unfair to you."

She raised an eyebrow. "Unfair to me? That makes no sense. Why don't you go to your desk and do your work voluntarily, and I'm sure I'll somehow tolerate any unfairness."

"It would be unfair to you because then you might think that I would always do my work that way, without incentives." He leaned over the arm of his chair, his eyes mischievous and apologetic at once. "But everything else is so much more interesting than the paperwork on my desk. Especially you, my cute Nanao-chan."

"So your argument is that you are too distracted by me to complete your work? Setting aside how wildly inappropriate it is for me to sit in your lap, it seems that nothing could be worse for your work than that."

He shook his head, grinning. "You've got it backwards, Nanao-chan. Nothing could be better for my work than sitting with lovely Nanao-chan on my lap. Think of how attentive I'll be to all of the important issues you raise and all of the work in front of me when I'm guided through it by your sweet voice and your gentle touch."

"My gentle touch?" She tapped her fan lightly against her palm, as if to remind him of how stinging her 'gentle touch' could be. But there was a certain temptation to his offer. Anything that made her Captain easier to manage was worth considering. "It's still wildly inappropriate."

"What could be inappropriate between us if we were married? An entire world of leverage will open up for you to use as you please. I'll be putty in your hands, Nanao-chan." He sat back, apparently trying to look like vulnerable putty, and failing completely. She shook her head at him.

Still, even if he was not exactly putty in her hands, he might be more cooperative about work. He was correct that new kinds of leverage would be available to her if they were married. Inappropriateness aside, sitting on his lap did present some positives over chasing him around Seireitei for hours and eventually tying him to his chair in exasperation. She had some concerns for her dignity, but maybe they could try it just one time during the marriage practice and see how it went. "If we do this, there would have to be rules."

A glint of triumph shone in his eyes. "Of course, Nanao-chan. What rules would you like?"

"You will not touch me."

"That's impossible, if you're on my lap."

"This is for work, so you will not touch me anywhere that would be distracting." They probably had different definitions of distracting, but it was easiest to work these details out with him with a strong fan or a heavy book, when she could really make her opinions felt. Besides, he was trying to impress her right now, wasn't he? He'd probably be on his best behavior.

"I'll do my best not to distract you, Nanao-chan."

Her eyes narrowed. "You will work while I am sitting with you. If you aren't working, then you don't need any incentives."

He nodded.

"And you'll keep this completely private. If I hear one whisper of this that originated with you, I will be most displeased. Promotion evaluations, early morning sword drills, the sudden disappearance of the division's liquor—I could go on."

"Nanao-chan's wrath is terrible," he said solemnly, but smiled.

She sighed and walked to the door, latching it locked. When she returned to his desk he opened his arms wide in welcome. She hesitated.

"What happens between us is private, Nanao-chan, now and when we're married. I'll protect your pride."

He meant it; that was clear. She nodded crisply. It might turn out to be a disaster, but she was committed to it now. "As of now, we are practicing at being married, only for the morning." She studied his lap. "How exactly will we do this?"

"You'll sit in my lap, and we'll do work."

"Yes, but where do I put my legs? To the side? Between yours?" Her brow creased.

"Wherever is most comfortable for you."

That was an unsatisfactory answer, but she'd apparently need to work out the logistics on her own. She climbed neatly into his lap, sitting on him as if he were a chair, her legs pressed together and hanging over his legs. Her back was stiff, not touching his chest, and she wasn't comfortable at all.

He grasped her waist with one hand, moving the chair forward until she could have rested her elbows on the desk, her back pressed to his chest. "We both have to be able to see the papers," he murmured in her ear.

She made a disgruntled sound. His thighs were a firm, warm seat and his breath made his chest rise and fall against her back in a steady rhythm. She pointedly tugged his hand off of her waist and he surrendered easily, dropping his hand on the desk. But it was no surprise that he gave her waist up easily; he was already touching most of her. She scowled while preparing ink and his stamp. "Can we begin?"

"Whenever you're ready, Nanao-chan," he said, his tone very agreeable.

She wiggled a little and he drew in a sharp breath. She froze.

"It's fine, Nanao-chan."

She wasn't sure that it was, but it was his fault for asking for this incentive. This was probably a bad idea, but she was already on his lap, so she would power through the awkwardness with a strong focus on work. She could write it off later as a poor choice due to lack of sleep and never do it again. "We'll start with the bonus money requests. One of the Sixteenth Seats has cleansed Black Jowl, a Hollow with a bonus of five thousand."

"That much? How impressive." He stamped the form in the designated area.

They progressed from bonus money to leave requests, Nanao relaxing gradually. Her legs shifted to straddle his, her feet tucked around his calves as she would have tucked them around chair legs, her back resting easily against his chest. "Twentieth Seat Sato would like leave for the birth of his child. He's asked for four weeks." She tapped the form.

"Didn't his wife have a baby two years ago?" Captain Kyōraku glanced at the paper.

"Yes. Multiple children are so rarely this close together." Pregnancy in general was rare in Seireitei, and pregnancies close together were even less likely.

"We should give him eight weeks, then. I think his wife would appreciate the extra time."

Nanao crossed out four and added an eight to the page. "His wife might appreciate it, but I'm not sure Sato-san will. I've caught him napping at his desk many times lately."

Captain Kyōraku chuckled, stamping the form. "I sympathize with him, but with his wife more."

Nanao nodded, making a pleased sound.

It took close to two hours to finish—there had been a substantial backlog of items waiting for his approval—but Nanao tapped the last of the sighed papers into a neat stack, then stretched, rubbing at the back of her neck.

"Are you sore?" he asked, his hands rising to her shoulders.

"No, just a bit stiff." She moved her hands to her lap, becoming aware of their position again. After a little while, it had seemed ordinary to be doing paperwork with him in the office, even on his lap.

His hands began to massage her neck, pushing any thoughts about jumping away from him out of her mind. He was good at this, his hands finding and easing all of the places she'd held the tension of the last few weeks. Eventually he moved to her shoulders, working out knots.

She gasped as he pressed a particularly tight spot and he paused. "Do you want me to stop, Nanao-chan?"

"No. I think I might add this to the list of things that I require in a husband." She closed her eyes, leaning against the desk as he massaged her back.

"You have a list?" He was quietly amused.

"I always have a list. It's just that the list only had one item on it before. Money for the Ise estate. Now this is also on my list." She sighed in pleasure.

"I can do better than this for you, Nanao-chan."

"Can you?"

"With your naked skin, a bed, and some oil, you'll swear that I can do magic." There was a sensual undertone to his voice that made her back arch under his touch.

"I already think that about you," she said, deeply relaxed.

"You think that I can do magic, Nanao-chan?" He sounded bemused.

"Yes. Isn't that what you did in the garden when you made the ridiculous idea of practicing at marriage seem reasonable and desirable?" Her lips turned up at the memory.

"If you find my powers of persuasion magical, who am I to argue? How does this feel, Nanao-chan?" His long fingers worked out the kinks in her lower back.

"Wonderful. Don't stop."

"I'll massage your back as often as you want me to if we're married. Do you think any of the men in the matchmaker's file will do the same?"

"It's doubtful that those men would be interested enough in me to take the time away from the boar stables. You can have the point." She felt very generous, since all of her muscles had relaxed into jelly.

"Thank you, Nanao-chan. And a man who wouldn't be interested in you over boars is a fool." He finished with her back, leaning forward to kiss her hair. She melted back against him, her arms resting on his arms, which rested on the arms of the chair.

Nanao felt both the satisfaction of someone who had just completed several days' worth of overdue paperwork and the relaxation of someone who had just been thoroughly massaged. It was a good combination, much better than the annoyance and stomach-churning worry she'd felt for weeks.

It might be worth exploring the idea of marriage to her Captain more deeply. Maybe he was magic in more ways than she thought already. "I would like to continue with the marriage practice, if you are open to the idea."

"I'd love to practice marriage with you, Nanao-chan." His lips brushed her ear. "We could be so good together," he whispered against her hair. His tongue dipped out to taste the tender skin of her neck.

She shivered, slipping lightly off of his lap. "Let's not run ahead too quickly."

"My Nanao-chan is shy, perhaps?" He ran his tongue over his lips, still relaxed back in the chair. Her eyes followed the movement closely.

"I have a lunch meeting with the SWA in ten minutes. I almost forgot." She crossed to her desk, picking up a fat book.

"I see. Nanao-chan?" he called as she unlatched the door.

"Yes, Captain?" She stood in profile to him, her pink cheeks impossible to hide.

"Next time, I'll make you forget your meeting completely." He smiled, wicked and slow.

She made a scoffing noise, although she had no doubt he could make her forget a meeting. "I'll be out most of the afternoon." She fled from the office, his low laughter following her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Contains:** Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515, tipsy Nanao, mild sensual content.

Thanks for your reviews and comments, and for reading!

* * *

"So Isane-san will conduct the research for our Living World amusement park trip. That should conclude all of our new business." Nanao flipped over the last paper on the podium.

"Wait, wait! There's one important piece of new business that we didn't touch on yet. Your initial match meetings were this weekend. How did they go, Nanao-san? We've all been wondering," Hinamori said, her hand raised for attention.

"I was wondering, too." Rangiku flipped her hair.

"It's not really SWA official business," Nanao said.

"Please proceed, Nanao-san." Unohana nodded.

Nanao couldn't turn her down. "I did have my initial match meetings, yes." Nanao hesitated. Perhaps it would be good to see what sort of reaction her actions would get from her friends at the Shinigami Women's Association. It would help her prepare for the reactions of other people in Seireitei. She left the podium and took her seat at the table.

"And how did it go?" Hinamori asked eagerly.

"The first two meetings were not particularly good. The young men did not share many common interests with me. We didn't connect very well."

"Oh, that's too bad." Hinamori deflated a little.

"But there were three meetings, weren't there? What happened with the third guy?" Rangiku's eyes were sharp.

"I'm not sure that everyone is really interested in hearing about my match meetings," Nanao stalled.

"I'm interested!" Kiyone waved from her seat.

"This data on courtship rituals is fascinating. I would like to collect more." Nemu was taking down notes on a tablet computer.

"We're all your friends, Nanao-san," Hinamori said, smiling.

Nanao nodded. "The third match meeting was with Captain Kyōraku."

"He followed you to your home for a meeting? That's so romantic," Hinamori gushed.

"A meeting about marriage with your Captain? Wow." Kiyone's hands pressed together; her mind seemed to have jumped to another Captain.

"It's not romantic, it's controlling and possessive," Soi Fon said, her eyes narrow.

"Really, it could go either way." Rangiku shrugged.

"Is there more cake?" Yachiru asked.

Nanao raised her hand for order over the chattering. She passed the cake plate down to Yachiru, who dug into the cake with both hands.

"What is important is how Nanao-san felt about Captain Kyōraku's actions. Was it romantic, or controlling and possessive, in your view?" Captain Unohana asked with her face serene.

Nanao pushed her glasses up. "His actions were not particularly controlling. There was some possessiveness, but not to an extent that disturbed me. I have little interest in romance, however."

"Hmm. That doesn't mean it wasn't romantic, though." Rangiku raised an eyebrow.

"Did he kiss you?" Kiyone blurted out, her cheeks red.

"Was there sexual contact? I've read that is a common element in courtship." Nemu's hand hovered over her tablet expectantly.

"That's private," Nanao said, fighting down a blush.

"So he did kiss you." Rangiku grinned.

."That's definitely romantic," Hinamori said.

"So romantic." Kiyone sighed.

"It could have been unwanted attention." Soi Fon tilted her head.

The buzzing conversation stopped as everyone stared at Nanao. She swallowed. "The attention was acceptable to me."

Hinamori and Kiyone both giggled. Rangiku chuckled and Nemu wrote rapidly.

Yachiru licked the empty cake plate. "Do we have any candy?"

Nanao pulled a small bag of sweets out of her sleeve and tossed it at Yachiru. These meetings always went more smoothly if Yachiru was busy eating, so Nanao brought extra supplies, just in case.

"Are you going to marry Captain Kyōraku, then?" Isane asked.

"I didn't say that." Nanao fidgeted in her seat.

"But you are considering him as a possible husband, aren't you?" Hinamori rested her chin on her hands.

"I think it could be a good match. You should consider him, Nanao-san." Unohana smiled placidly.

"I am considering marriage to him," Nanao said reluctantly.

Several members burst into cheers and chatter.

"If that is all, this meeting is adjourned." Nanao banged the gavel on the table.

Captain Unohana nodded to Nanao as she swept out of the room, Isane following.

"If you ever need him scared into line, the Second Division can help you with that." Soi Fon nodded sharply.

"Thank you," Nanao said, although that was an offer she'd never accept.

"The Twelfth Division has extensive experience in reprogramming, Nanao-san. I can offer you assistance if you would like to rewrite Captain Kyōraku's neural pathways." Nemu cradled her computer as she waited near the door.

"Thank you for your generosity, Nemu-san, but I prefer to keep Captain Kyōraku as he is currently." Her friends were lovely people, but a bit frightening sometimes.

Nemu nodded and left.

"Thanks for the candy!" Yachiru dived out of the window.

The other members left slowly, wishing Nanao luck, until only Rangiku and Nanao sat at the large table.

"Maybe it wasn't a good idea to say anything." Nanao tucked the papers into a file.

"What, because of the gossip? Don't let yourself be put off by something like that." Rangiku stood, stretching.

"People will say that I married him for his money. If I marry him," Nanao said, tacking on the last as an afterthought.

"People would say that about any marriage to come out of these meetings. Gossips will put together the condition of your family's fortunes and your sudden marriage pretty quickly. It doesn't matter if it's your Captain or some stranger."

"But it's not fair for people to say that about Captain Kyōraku. He's not a fool and they shouldn't talk about him as if he's been tricked." Nano felt a surprising amount of distress at the thought.

"They'll say that you married him for money and that he married you to get his lecherous hands on a desirable young girl who wouldn't sleep with him otherwise. But why does it bother you so much, Nanao? No one who knows either of you well will listen to any of it."

Nanao scowled, her hands crossed over her chest, holding her biceps. "But the gossip will make our relationship seem sordid and tainted. It's not like that."

"Oh, Nanao." Rangiku walked to Nanao's chair, bending and draping an arm over her shoulders. "Sometimes people are awful. But nothing anyone says can change your relationship with him unless you allow it. Just go on being sweet and romantic without worrying about what people will think."

"I am not particularly sweet or romantic."

"You can't fool me. I've seen you on Valentine's Day and White Day." Rangiku squeezed Nanao's shoulders affectionately and then straightened.

"Don't tell anyone about that." Nanao glanced around, but they were still alone.

Rangiku laughed. "That blush looks good on you; it adds some nice pink to your cheeks."

"Oh, be quiet." Nanao gave her a baleful look before smiling. "There was something I wanted to speak to you about privately, though."

Rangiku swooped into a chair beside Nanao, her expression avid. "I'm listening."

Nanao hesitated, unsure of how to approach the issue. "I think I may have made a questionable decision earlier."

"What's that?"

"I sat on Captain Kyōraku's lap this morning," she said in a rush, and then flinched.

"How did that go?"

"We completed a week's worth of work. It was very productive."

Rangiku motioned her on with a hand wave. "And?"

"He rubbed my back. It was delightful."

"Now I'm jealous. He does seem the type to give good massages. I don't think you're making questionable decisions if you were pleased by the outcome. Something like considering marriage to someone can drastically change what is a good or bad decision, can't it?"

"I suppose so."

Rangiku sighed. "Somehow I don't think my Captain would rub my back if I sat on his lap. I think he'd be very annoyed, actually."

"I wanted to ask you—" Nanao stopped.

"What do you want to ask me?" Rangiku leaned forward.

"I want to discuss certain aspects of marriage."

"But I've never been married," Rangiku said.

"I know, but I believe you have expertise in certain areas of relationships that could be very helpful to me."

"Let's go back to my quarters. This isn't a great place for a conversation like that."

"It's the middle of the afternoon, we both have work," Nanao protested.

"This is a very important conversation, Nanao. Much more important than a few hours of work we can do later. And I have plum wine in my quarters."

"It's the middle of the afternoon," Nanao griped, but followed after Rangiku anyway.

* * *

Shunsui lounged on the sofa, tipping back his hat for a glance at the clock. Nanao had been gone longer than he'd expected, but the SWA could be an unpredictable group.

As if summoned by his thoughts, Nanao entered the office by the porch slider. She walked over to the seating area and leaned against the arm of a fat chair at a right angle to the sofa, swaying slightly. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes wandering the room without focus. Had there been a drinking party at the SWA today?

"How was your meeting, lovely Nanao-chan? It ran later than I'd imagined."

She shook her finger at him. "No, the meeting was an ordinary length. After that, Rangiku-san and I talked for a while."

"I see. Did you and Rangiku-chan talk over sake at a restaurant?"

She huffed. "No. We spoke over plum wine, in her quarters."

"What did you talk about?"

She shook her head, her balance questionable. "Not telling you. It was women's business. I had three glasses of plum wine, but it was a necessary fortification."

He smiled. "I'm sure that it was. Why don't you come and sit with me?" Three glasses of plum wine in the afternoon—Nanao was a lightweight when it came to drinking, but the topic she'd needed fortification to discuss was most likely marriage-related.

She shook her head. "I've been making questionable decisions about you."

"Do you feel badly about anything that we've done? I only want you to be happy, Nanao-chan."

"I don't feel badly. I think that I probably should, but actually, I was pleased with the result of our practice this morning." She tapped her finger against her lips. "Should I feel badly?"

"No, not at all, sweetheart. If you're considering a man for marriage, you should feel good about the things you do with him, shouldn't you?" he asked.

She frowned. "I suppose. But I've spent a lot of time denying you, so it's odd to allow you anything."

"When you say you've been denying me, doesn't that really mean you've been denying us? Why shouldn't you allow yourself what we both want? If you want to touch me, to kiss me, you should allow yourself to do those things. Aren't we practicing marriage, Nanao-chan?" He smiled at her.

"You make it sound so simple." Her forehead was creased.

"It can be that simple. Why don't you come and sit with me, Nanao-chan?"

Nanao approached him, dropping herself on the sofa with her legs across his lap and her head against the sofa. She wasn't quite sitting in his lap, but it was close enough. He wrapped an arm around her back.

"What did Rangiku-chan say about you marrying me?"

One of her hands clutched his shoulder. She rubbed her cheek against the uniform over his chest, which he liked quite a lot. Nanao was never so openly affectionate. "She said that you have lecherous hands."

He winced. Even if Rangiku wouldn't give him a ringing endorsement, he'd hoped for something a bit more positive from his friend and sometimes drinking buddy. "Did she say anything else?"

"She said that I was sweet. Do you think I'm sweet?" She drew her brows together.

"Yes, very much so, Nanao-chan."

She huffed. "I'm not sweet." Her hand clutched his haoris for purchase as she tried to rise on her knees. He grasped her knees, parting them over his legs after she'd nearly hit him with one in his groin. She straddled him on her knees, looking pleased by her new height. Her fingers flicked the hat off of his head. She was still slightly unsteady on the thick cushions of the sofa, so he held her waist with his hands.

"You are sweet, lovely Nanao-chan." Her face was close to his, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. He watched every stroke of her tongue, fascinated.

She shook her head at him, but seemed to lose interest in the argument quickly. "You smell good," she said, pressing her face into his neck. She leaned into him and his arms came to her back in an embrace.

"Do you think so?" he asked softly.

"Mmm. Like grass and trees and soap." Her tongue licked a wavy path down his neck. "You taste good."

He swallowed. She was too potent by far. "Nanao-chan."

Her tongue explored the joint of his neck and shoulder. He held himself still as an act of will. He wanted her to be interested in him this way, wanted her to feel free to do what she liked with him. But he didn't want her to regret anything. "Nanao-chan, do you want to rest for a while?"

Her teeth bit lightly in the area she'd covered so carefully with her tongue. His hand shifted down to her butt and squeezed once in reaction. She was firm and lush under his hand, but he hadn't asked and she'd been drinking. He brought the offending hand back to her spine immediately. "Sorry, Nanao-chan," he said, but she only cuddled in more closely to him.

"Rangiku-san thought I might like to bite you." Nanao's hand brushed his haoris and uniform off of his right shoulder, exposing more of his skin. She licked a new spot on his skin and then bit him there, leaving little red imprints of her teeth. "Is it all right if I do this?" she asked, so belated that he would have laughed if he wasn't so aroused by her currently.

"Yes. It's fine for you to do this. I want you to feel comfortable doing all of the things that you like in bed with me." He thought he wanted her praise or another point over the men in the file, but she bit him again and that was more than enough. The sensation of her mouth on his skin went straight to his groin. He took a shallow breath.

"Rangiku-san was right. I do like biting you." She ran her tongue over the line of marks she'd made on him, from neck to shoulder. "Does this mean I have lecherous teeth?"

She asked the question in such a sincere tone that he did laugh. "We're a matched pair, Nanao-chan, lecherous hands and teeth."

"A matched pair," she said, a little dreamy. She pulled back from his shoulder to look at him.

"Why don't you rest for a while? This sofa is very comfortable for naps, I promise."

"I'm not drunk," she protested, but sighed when he took off her glasses. "It was a very strong plum wine, but a necessary fortification."

"I'm not concerned that you had a few drinks with a friend in the afternoon, sweetheart. You've been under a lot of stress lately. Relaxing is good for you." He shifted her to a horizontal position on the sofa, moving to sit at her side and take the hairclip out of her hair.

"It might have been a questionable decision. I'm making a lot of those lately. It's your fault." She sounded annoyed.

He smiled. "It might be my fault. But if you only make decisions that you don't question, then you're only doing safe and familiar things. Any time that you step away from that known path, you might question your decisions, but that doesn't mean that you have to regret them. I don't want you to regret anything you do with me, Nanao-chan."

"It's difficult." Her lips pressed together. "But I'll try."

"Thank you."

"I told the SWA that I am considering marriage to you." She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Did you? That's all right, Nanao-chan, I'm fine with our relationship being public." He'd prefer it, actually, and having Nanao announce their relationship of her own volition removed a number of potentially thorny issues.

"People are going to say that I am marrying you for your money." She looked worried now, and he hated to see that.

"I thought you were going to marry me for my body, Nanao-chan." He endeavored to look hurt and she shook her head at him.

"Your body is a factor," she admitted.

He grinned and kissed the corner of her mouth. "Will you give me the point over the men in the matchmaker's file?"

She surprised him, her hand brushing over his jaw. "You can have the point."

"Thank you." He smoothed her hair back. "Rest for a while, precious Nanao-chan."

Her eyes closed, her breathing deep and even. He watched her for a few minutes before moving to the fat chair nearby, picking up a book of poems. His fingers ran along the line of teeth prints she'd bit into his shoulder. He was pretty sure that she'd given him some red marks on his neck as well. He opened the book in his lap, but his focus was not on the purple prose in the page. His eyes returned continually to her slender figure on the sofa.

"Nanao-chan," he murmured.

Nanao woke slowly, feeling disoriented. The light coming into the room was the light of late afternoon and it was coming in from the wrong direction to be from the window in her bedroom. She sat up abruptly when she realized she was not in her bedroom, but in the office, and she was not alone.

Captain Kyōraku watched her from a chair, looking a bit fuzzy around the edges. She reached for her glasses on the table in front of her and put them on. Her fingers combed through her hair before she snatched the hairclip off of the table and secured her hair up.

"Did you have a good nap? The water is fresh, I thought you might be thirsty." He drew leisurely characters on a stack of papers resting on the arm of the chair.

There was a pitcher of water and a glass on the table, and she poured herself a drink. She was thirsty. "Are you working?"

"I'm writing the next chapter of my novel for the _Seireitei Bulletin_." He grasped the papers with a flourish. "What do you think of this? 'He explored her wondrous garden, trailing over the peaks and valleys of her endless delights, both of them wrapped in a glowing filament of deepest rapture.'"

She drank some water, raising her eyebrow at him. "In the last chapter, actually in the last three chapters, I thought they were going to bed with each other. But they've gone for a walk instead?"

He grinned at her. "I am so delighted to count you among my loyal readers, Nanao-chan."

"You're my Captain. I consider it an aspect of my responsibilities to the division." She finished her glass of water.

"That's cold, Nanao-chan! I'm wounded. And they haven't gone for a walk in this chapter; they are making sweetest love under the stars."

"That wasn't clear at all." She stood, stretching her arms over her head.

"Garden is a euphemism for those exquisite parts of a woman that I—"

She cut him off. "Obviously."

He leaned forward, setting his papers and brush on the table. "Did it inspire an atmosphere of deepest romance by cocooning you in luscious words?"

She rolled her head on her neck. The sofa was not a good spot for naps, regardless of what her Captain said. "Not particularly, but I am not generally inclined to an atmosphere of romance," she said. Nanao liked things to be as direct and clear as possible, and romance was usually prevaricating and dancing and flirting around the point.

"Aren't you? I think you've been very inclined to romance lately." He rubbed his neck and he eyes were drawn to the line of red marks disappearing under his clothes.

A wave of embarrassment washed over her, sliding swiftly into mortification. "I'm so sorry about what I did earlier. I molested you—"

He interrupted immediately. "You didn't molest me, Nanao-chan. I liked what you did."

She shook her head, refusing the escape he'd offered her. "I did that without your consent, and the marks—" She hurried over to him, pulling back his uniform to study the full impact of what she'd done. A wavering line of marks where she'd sucked and bit at him ran over his skin.

"That's the second time you've taken my clothes off today. We're getting closer, Nanao-chan." He sounded pleased, but that only increased her agitation.

"I'm sorry. I should have asked. It won't happen again." She withdrew her hand.

"Oh? Don't say that. I really enjoyed it." He clasped her hand lightly and pressed it onto his bare shoulder.

She shook her head, not meeting his eyes. She could feel the flaming color on her cheeks.

He took her hand and pulled her closer, kissing her palm. "Nanao-chan, it's very appropriate to want your partner to be enthusiastic and willing. And I am, I promise you. There's very little that you could ask for in bed that I wouldn't consider doing with you."

She nodded tightly, unsure of what to say. There was a gulf between their levels of sexual experience several miles wide. She couldn't tell him that now; she thought she might choke on her mortified embarrassment if she tried. But that was a problem for after she'd actually chosen a potential husband. Still, she could imagine Captain Kyōraku with mountain climbing gear, merrily throwing his ropes over the gulf and crossing, wearing only a fundoshi and hiking boots. A startled laugh escaped her lips.

"Nanao-chan?"

She shook her head. "You're a bad influence on me."

He grinned. "I hope so."

Her hand lit with kidō. "I'm going to heal these. Otherwise people will think—I'm not even sure what people will think."

His arm looped around her waist as she leaned over him, tugging her into his lap. She allowed it, her eyes focused on her kidō. She probably shouldn't do this with him, but didn't want to move away. Physical contact with him seemed to have an addictive quality for her; she craved it, craved him. She swallowed heavily, saying nothing. His lips touched the side of her neck, following the curve to her pulse with his tongue. Her breathing was uneven, her kidō faltering. He sucked at her pulse and she stopped breathing entirely.

"Don't—you'll leave a mark," she protested.

"Do you want me to stop?" He pulled back.

She said nothing. Finally she tipped her head slightly, exposing more of her neck to him.

He made a pleased sound. "We'll match. I won't bite, though. I like to use my tongue more than my teeth, especially on skin as soft and sweet as yours. You taste good, Nanao-chan." His voice was a low murmur against her throat. He resumed sucking at her pulse, which sped up under his touch. She leaned into him, her lips parted.

The light of her kidō flickered and faded. The marks on his shoulder and neck were muted, nearly invisible in the late afternoon light. She scooted back on his lap. His lips left her throat with a wet, indecent sound.

She stood, relighting the kidō for her own throat, but he rose and pressed his hand to her neck. "Let me." His kidō touched her tender skin, as soft and cooling as his hand was firm and warm.

"Thank you." She stared at his chest, her heartbeat rapid and loud in her ears.

"Nanao-chan." He raised his free hand to her cheek, his fingertips brushing her lips.

She felt a moment of uncertainty at his closeness. She'd enjoyed it when he'd kissed her neck, but could she really handle him if he wanted more than that? Panic itched at her veins. She stepped back, straightening her uniform. "It's getting late. I'm hungry."

"Are you? Then this is an excellent opportunity for me to impress you with my good taste." He held his arm out for her.

She eyed him dubiously, ignoring his arm. "Are you going to cook?"

"No, although I am capable of cooking well. Would cooking impress you? I can put it on our list of things to practice."

"I would only be impressed if your cooking was particularly impressive. I would expect you to have basic cooking skills."

"Yet I imagine none of the men in the matchmaker's file have ever cooked for themselves. They almost certainly leave that to servants or female relatives. If you chose one of them to marry, they might expect that you will take over their kitchen."

She frowned. "That would not fit well into my work schedule." She crossed her arms. "Do you really think that none of the men in the file can cook?"

"Yes, I really do. I'd put money on it, Nanao-chan."

She nodded, and he smiled triumphantly. She held up her hand. "I'm not giving you the point unless you actually cook something. But I will acknowledge that you are likely correct, the majority of noble men do not cook."

"Hmm. But now I'm torn between impressing you with my good taste in restaurants and impressing you with my cooking."

"Restaurants now." It would be a relief to be in public; their growing intimacy was unnerving.

He extended his arm again and she tucked her hand into the crook of his arm, to his obvious pleasure.

"I'll give you the point for good taste if we go somewhere that is appropriate and delicious, and where I don't need to change out of my uniform to feel comfortable."

"The point is mine already."


	6. Chapter 6

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515.

**Notes: **This chapter is roughly one quarter of the way through this story, which is largely a sweet romp through courtship with some obstacles to overcome. Thank you to everyone for your reviews and favorites - I really appreciate your comments and your interest! ^_^ Thanks, as always, for reading!

* * *

He chose well, she had to admit that. The restaurant was clean and crowded with shinigami. They sat in a corner booth, a pleasant hum of conversation around them. "Does this earn me the point, Nanao-chan?"

She sipped from her drink. It was a sweet blend of juices and alcohol he'd insisted she'd like. He was right, she enjoyed the flavors. "You can't have the point until I've tasted the food, Captain."

"Captain? I'm wounded, Nanao-chan. Surely you wouldn't still call me Captain when we're married? Perhaps you should practice using my name while we're practicing marriage." He smiled when she narrowed his eyes at him.

He did have a point. She would likely not be calling him Captain in certain situations when they were married. She could try it out and see how his name felt on her tongue. "Shunsui-san," she said haltingly.

He smiled brilliantly. "My name sounds so good in your voice, Nanao-chan. But you're still so polite. Our relationship should be close enough for less formality, don't you think?"

She frowned. "Shunsui-kun," she said, as if he were a peer of hers.

"That's very friendly. And it's better than the last one. But I think I'd like something more bare for our intimate relationship. Something more naked." His voice dipped low during his obvious innuendo.

"I see, Shunsui-chan," she snapped as a restaurant worker brought their food.

Captain Kyōraku burst into laughter. The server held a blank face and escaped as quickly as possible. Nanao pressed her lips together.

"You can call me that if you really want to, Nanao-chan, I won't refuse it. Would you also like to tell me what a bad boy I've been and maybe spank me a little? That would be fine, too." He grinned.

"Punishing you has a certain appeal, but I think you'd enjoy it too much," she muttered.

"Definitely." He picked up a shrimp from his bowl. "Try this, Nanao-chan, it's the best here."

She ate a bite of the shrimp. "It's excellent."

"Can I have the point now?"

She pretended to consider it. "Yes, I suppose you can have it."

"Thank you, Nanao-chan." His hand crossed the table and covered hers, his thumb stroking the pulse in her wrist. "Can I have my name, too?"

She hesitated. Whatever jokes he made, it really was an intimacy to use his name at all, much less without an honorific. When she spoke it was with a careful precision that measured the weight of the gesture. "Shunsui."

He looked serious, but his eyes smiled, and his hand squeezed hers. "That's my favorite by far. Will you use my name like that from now on?"

"While we're practicing marriage, I'll use your name." She needed to put that limitation on, to remind herself and him that this was a temporary arrangement. They weren't married. She wasn't even certain that considering marriage to her Captain was a wise decision.

"Thank you, Nanao-chan." His smile was dazzling and his thumb caressed the fine skin of her wrist.

She felt a bit light-headed suddenly. She withdrew her hand from his, focusing intently on her food. When their server returned Nanao refused a second fruit drink in favor of some tea. The alcohol might not have caused her light-headedness and skipping heart, but it certainly couldn't help.

The tea was bad. She sipped and then sighed, making a face.

"What's the matter with it, Nanao-chan?" He stopped his idle conversation when he saw her expression.

She handed him the cup. "It's weak and tastes a bit burnt, somehow."

He took a drink from her cup. "It's awful. I'll have them bring something else."

"No, it's fine. I'm done eating anyway. Though I do wonder if you should really have that point for good taste when the restaurant serves tea like this." She arched one brow.

"I have to confess that I've never had the tea here. Ukitake seems fine with it, although his tastebuds might be damaged from centuries of medicinal teas, if he enjoys this tea." He set the cup down, lifting his sake dish. "The sake here is excellent, however. Would you like some, Nanao-chan?"

"No, thank you. But is it so hard to make decent tea? At the division, if I don't make it myself, it's awful at least half the time."

"Making tea is an art, Nanao-chan." He drank sake, his eyes amused. "Maybe you should add it to your list of things you want in a husband."

"It's very important. Maybe I'll add it to the list." She propped her chin up on her hand, smiling.

"That's an excellent idea, Nanao-chan. You may recall that I make very good tea."

She raised her eyebrow. "Is that so? I'd have to taste your tea again before I could give you the point, though. It's been a while."

"You'll have plenty of opportunities while we practice at being married at my home." There was anticipation in his voice.

She hesitated. "I don't have anything packed, and that may take some time, so perhaps we should delay the marriage practice at your home until tomorrow."

"There's no need to delay our practice. We can go to your quarters right now and pack. It's still early." He rose and bundled her out of the restaurant before she could maneuver her way out of coming to his house. He was in high spirits when they entered her quarters. "Do you want me to help, Nanao-chan? Just tell me what you need me to do." He looked huge in her small quarters and his eyes roamed with interest over all of her things.

"I would prefer to pack my things myself. Why don't you make some tea? You wanted the point for that." She gestured at her kitchen area.

He headed over and began rifling through her kitchen items. She moved to her closet and pulled out a bag, packing slowly. She wasn't quite sure of what to bring—she'd never lived with a man, much less under the pretense of acting married—and she wasn't sure of how long to pack for, as they hadn't set any hard time limits on their practice.

"You have so many more things than you did when I was here last, Nanao-chan. But that was several years ago."

She glanced at him where he sat at her small table. She did have more books and pictures and clothes—she'd gone shopping more with Rangiku and other SWA friends and taken up some reading and hobbies that Rukia Kuchiki had brought back to them from the Living World.

Did he think she had too many things? She was packing to come to his house. Maybe he hadn't thought about how much space she would take up in his house and in his life. She felt gnawing worry at the idea, because if even her Captain felt that way, what about the men in the matchmaker's file? She'd be marrying into their households, most likely. Even if her husband moved to the Ise estate, that wasn't her space, either. She hadn't lived there since she was a small child. What personal space would she retain?

How much would she give up to save her family with this marriage? "I do have more things. But I've been thinking of getting rid of some of them," she said, frozen.

"Nanao-chan?"

She darted a look at him, stiff.

"I only meant that I'm glad you've gained more friends and interests. I don't want you to get rid of any of your things." He rose and came close to her.

"It's entirely possible that I would need to trim my personal possessions if I did enter an arranged marriage. I hadn't thought about it before." She looked at the low bookcases lining her quarters, pictures of her friends arranged neatly on top.

"No, Nanao-chan. You deserve to have personal space, personal things, in a marriage." He rested his hands on her shoulders, warm and comforting.

"But there is no assurance that I would be able to actually have those things. The nobles of Seireitei are largely traditional in their views. Whatever I might want, my husband would have the very real leverage of the needs of the Ise estate to use against me in any disagreement."

"You aren't wrong, sweetheart. Some men would use your family's needs against you. But I wouldn't do that, Nanao-chan." He lifted her chin. "And I have a very big house. I want you and all of your things there with me."

"Even setting aside the traditions of the nobility, I don't know if I can fit into another person's life. I left my family when I was quite young, and I've always lived alone."

He smiled. "You'll fit with me, Nanao-chan. I promise. We'll fit together. And you should have everything that you want in our house. We can always build more closets."

She shook her head, smiling. "Building more closets is an inefficient solution."

"We need to have lots of storage, so that you can have many, many pairs of those lovely little panties in your hand."

he looked down at her hand and startled. She was clutching a pair of lavender lace panties she'd been packing when he'd triggered her worry. A bright flush lit her cheeks and he chuckled. "Panties take up very little storage space," she said with a huff, stuffing the offending garment into her bag.

"Imagine how many you could fit into a closet. Maybe we should have one devoted only to panties. If you can't fill it, I am more than willing to offer eager assistance." His eyes gleamed.

She wasn't touching that offer. "I prefer to select my own garments. And weren't you making tea?" She arched a brow at him.

"It's finished. Would you like some?"

She nodded, deciding what she'd packed already would do for now. She could always come back for more of her things. They'd probably only be practicing at being married for a few days anyway, since time was of the essence and she'd need to make a decision on second meetings fairly soon. The matchmaker had suggested one week would be an appropriate time between the initial meetings and whatever second meeting she chose to have.

He led her to the table with a flourish, pouring a cup of tea. She lifted the cup, savoring the aroma, before taking a small sip. It was perfect, of course. "You can have the point for the tea."

He grinned.

"And—" she paused. "The point for closets." It wasn't really about closets and he surely knew that, but what he'd said about fitting together—she believed he genuinely wanted her to be happy, and wanted her to fit into his life. It mattered more than she would have imagined.

His eyes widened, his smile shrinking, but his eyes grew warm and tender. "Thank you, Nanao-chan. For both points."

* * *

They lingered over their tea. Nanao relaxed in the familiarity of her quarters, but something nagged at her about their earlier conversation. He'd said they'd fit together. The matchmaking process was formal and usually involved both families, at least to the point of knowing a match was being pursued.

But he hadn't mentioned anything about his family yet.

"Nanao-chan?"

"Hmm?" She looked up from her tea cup. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"I was saying that you seem less interested in the arrangements for the summer division party than usual. I just suggested that we set off fireworks from the courtyard without any objections from you." He smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"No fireworks in the courtyard. If you really want fireworks, we'll make arrangements with the Twelfth Division to set them off over the river." Nanao finished her tea. What if he hadn't told his family about the match meeting at all? Was he really taking this seriously if his family wasn't involved?

"You never let me have fireworks in the division any more. It was only one little fire and it only caused a negligible amount of damage to the roof."

"We had to have an entire roof replaced in the barracks. That's not negligible." She took the empty cups and the tea pot into her tiny kitchen area for washing.

"What about ice sculptures? Those would be fun and the risk of fire is almost nothing."

"Where would you get ice sculptures?" But her thoughts were still on her concern. His family was much higher ranking than hers. What if he didn't want to admit an interest in someone from the lower nobility to them?

"From Toshirō-kun or Rukia-chan. I'm sure they could be persuaded to make a few thematic sculptures for us."

"What sort of themes?" she asked, curious.

"Maybe we'd have a few sculptures of girls in yukatas, girls in bikinis, girls wearing flowers, girls in school uniforms—"

"All of those selections are dubious and the last one is also inaccurate. School uniforms are not particularly representative of summer." She finished the dishes and strode over to pick up her bag.

He lifted it out of her hand. "School uniforms have a universal appeal, Nanao-chan."

She waved him out of her quarters and closed them up. They headed towards his house. "I do not find school uniforms to be particularly appealing."

"Nanao-chan, there are so many glorious features to a school uniform, let me tell you—"

"That's unnecessary," she said, but he continued anyway. She barely listened as they neared his house. If his family wasn't involved, what did that mean? Why wouldn't he tell his family about the match?

They arrived at his gate. He was still extolling the virtues of the school uniform. He opened the gate, welcoming her with a flourish. He grinned at her with a teasing light in his eyes. "Nanao-chan in a school uniform would be like a dream come to life. I can't tell you what I'd pay to see you like that."

Her breath caught. It was too close to what Rangiku had said people would think—_They'll say that you married him for money and that he married you to get his lecherous hands on a desirable young girl who wouldn't sleep with him otherwise._ "Would you pay the price of the restoration of the Ise estate and the opening of three new shops for that?" There was a thread of hurt under the snap of her sharp voice that surprised both of them, but his joke was poorly timed when they were still in these delicate negotiations with each other. She'd expected better from him, but perhaps she'd expected too much.

Her bag dropped out of his hand. "Nanao-chan." He laid his hands on her shoulders and she shrugged him off. "I didn't mean it like that. I was only teasing. I'm not buying you, Nanao-chan."

She shook her head, turning away from him. "What was it that you said? That I was exchanging myself for money through an arranged marriage?" He'd said his motivations were selfish, but she hadn't believed him, and she'd defended him to Rangiku. The idea that his motivations were actually base and sordid felt like a kick to the chest.

He looped around in front of her. "I was angry and I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that to you. You aren't selling yourself. I'm not buying you. We're two people who care about each other and want to be more to each other. That's what this is. That's why we're considering marriage."

He reached for her and she allowed it, standing stiff and still in his embrace. His heart beat under her cheek and he was warm and strong and familiar.

"We'll fit together, Nanao-chan, I promise."

"It's not as simple as that." She pulled away from him and moved to his porch, sitting down heavily. "There's a gulf between us of age, experience, fortune, and status in society."

He ran a hand down his face, his frustration leaking out in a sigh. "First I heard this from Ukitake, and now from you, too? Whatever gulf there is between us doesn't matter. We're important to each other, and that's what matters."

A small hope rose in her. She was sure it showed in her as because he shifted closer cautiously. "Did you tell your family about the match meeting? What did they think of the match?"

He hesitated. "I haven't told my family yet. It was so rushed to get the meeting and it wasn't important to tell them anyway—"

"It wasn't important? You didn't find the possibility of entering into marriage with me important enough to tell your family about?" That hurt more than she'd expected. She frowned blackly at him, her arms crossed.

"No, it wasn't like that. You're very important to me, Nanao-chan. But it wasn't important what my family thought of the match, because they couldn't have swayed me anyway." He sat down beside her, leaning close.

"What were you going to do?" She gave him a hard look.

"About what, Nanao-chan?"

"About me. Were you just going to show up one day at your family's estate with a wife?" A darker thought crossed her mind. "Or were you never going to explain me at all? How serious were you about marriage?"

"I was going to tell my family. I hadn't thought about when, in particular, because I was focused on you and me and not on what other people were going to think. Since it's important to you, I'll send them a letter tomorrow."

Perhaps she'd overreacted; it'd been a very long day full of difficult conversations. "The men in the matchmaker's file all had the approval of their families to pursue a possible marriage with me. That is the normal process, according to the matchmaker."

"And because I'd skipped a part of the normal process, you questioned my seriousness." His tone was even and understanding.

"If the approval of their families was important enough for the men in the file to secure in advance of any meeting, wouldn't it logically be even more critical for you, since your family is from much higher-ranking nobility?" She gestured with one hand.

"No."

She looked up, her mouth forming an _o_ of surprise. "No?"

He smiled wryly. "At this stage of my life, securing the approval of my family in advance isn't critical. They don't expect anything of me in this area. I'm a second son, and they resigned themselves to the idea that I was effectively married to the Eighth Division and not likely to marry or have children a long time ago. If I did just show up with a wife one day, their reactions would be positive, Nanao-chan."

"You don't need your family's approval because of your advanced age?" She frowned, considering.

"Ouch, don't say it like that, Nanao-chan." He made an exaggerated wince.

The corners of her lips twitched. "I see. You're old enough that your family's expectations for your marriage have faded away."

He cringed theatrically. "Nanao-chan is cruel to her Shunsui."

She smiled. Even though age was one of the things that separated them, it didn't seem so important now, and it made the other things that separated them not look as important, either.

He returned her smile. "I'll write to my family tomorrow. They'll be happy, Nanao-chan—especially my mother. We should do some training tomorrow and refresh your hand-to-hand combat skills."

"What? My hand-to-hand skills?" Nanao's brows drew together. Was his family going to attack her? But he'd said they'd be happy to see her.

"It's preparation for meeting my family. You'll understand when you meet my mother. Don't worry about it, Nanao-chan." He tilted his head, scratching his chin.

His family was widely known as experts in the martial arts. Was there some sort of sparring match to gain his mother's approval? "I've kept my combat skills sharp, but I'll work hard."

"You don't have to be so serious about it. My family won't influence my decision to marry you. Though there is something lovely about seeing that determination in your face for marrying me."

She fought down a blush. He'd caught her out—she wanted this to work, wanted him to be her match. She hadn't even considered any of the other candidates after he'd come to the Ise estate. Maybe she should try to explain herself a little. "Earlier, when I thought you weren't serious—I wasn't being fair to you. I expect more from you than I do from the men in the matchmaker's file. I expect more, and it's not fair of me. I don't know why I have these expectations. I should stop thinking that way."

His eyes widened and then warmed. His hands curved around her face, his thumbs caressing her cheeks. "No, Nanao-chan. Please continue to expect more from me than you would from any other man. I'll do my best to surpass your expectations."

She blinked in confusion. He looked pleased and his words were serious. "Why would you encourage me to have higher expectations for you than for other men?"

"I'm more important to you than any other man. That's why you have higher expectations for me. I'll meet them, Nanao-chan."

"Even if I were to accept your premise, it's still not very fair to you, is it?" She clasped his wrists and lowered his hands from her face.

His hands grasped hers. "I've never cared much about fair."

She thought of the games his sword played and his ruthlessness in battle and nodded. "Still, you must have some expectations for me in this."

He shook his head while she was talking. "Nanao-chan is already exactly what I want."

She persisted. "Even things like the school uniform—"

"I was only teasing."

"I know, but you'd be thrilled if I wore one. Don't pretend that's not true." She narrowed her eyes at him.

He grinned at her. "That's an entirely separate negotiation, Nanao-chan."

She understood now what he'd meant earlier—he'd pay dearly for her in uniform, but it wasn't in money and it wasn't directly related to their possible marriage. "It would be a very high price."

"What's the currency?" he asked, low and silky. His eyes were dark with the pleasure of the game they were playing.

She lifted one of her hands to her face, tapping a finger against her lips as if she was contemplating the question deeply. "I think you'll need to make an opening offer."

He leaned in. "One week of leading advanced sword drills."

She scoffed. "That's much too low. You should be thinking in quarters of sword training drills."

"Quarters? Outrageous," he murmured. He was very close, so close she couldn't focus on anything but his eyes and then his lips in turn.

"Submit your next offer in writing," she said. All of her thoughts had fled to his lips—firm and full. She wanted to kiss him but that could be a poor choice; it was hard to tell after the long day. Too many things had happened between them for her to fully understand them all and make the best decisions.

She raised her hand to his face, covering his lips with her fingers. He stilled. She drew her hand back.

"Nanao-chan?"

"I need to think about this more. I'd like to suspend our negotiations and our marriage practice for the night."

He grasped her hand, kissing her fingers. "If that's what you want, Nanao-chan." He stood and offered her a hand up. "If you want a temporary reprieve, that's perfectly fine with me. We can pick back up tomorrow." He smiled and grasped her hand as he led her through his house to a guest room, her bag slung over his shoulder.

She'd been to his house before, but she'd never stayed overnight and slept. It was an impropriety and a line crossed that she hadn't been willing to step over before. "Thank you," she said, accepting her bag from his hand.

"We'll start again in the morning?"

"At dawn, if you'd like." Her lips curved up. He was not an early riser by any means.

"Until tomorrow, Nanao-chan." He kissed her hand and left the room with an extravagant bow.

She prepared for bed and settled in with a sigh. She was in over her head with him, but there were some moments today when she'd felt that she could handle this situation with him. _Tomorrow_. She'd be in control tomorrow. Maybe she could even make him feel in over his head, just a little bit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515, mild adult content.

Thank you for your reviews and comments, and thanks for reading!

* * *

The sun was streaming in from the wrong spot. Nanao opened her eyes and found she was in the wrong place entirely. She was in his house—Shunsui's house.

"Shunsui," she said once, rolling his name over on her tongue. She could get used to that. She could call him by his name. _Husband_, she thought, but couldn't manage to say the word.

"Nanao-chan?" Shunsui called from outside the room.

She sat up, putting on her glasses and combing her fingers though her hair. "Yes?"

Shunsui entered the room, already wearing his uniform and a wide smile. He looked more awake and alert than she'd ever seen him at an hour like this one. A large tray in his hands rattled as he walked. He set it down next to the futon with a flourish. "Good morning, Nanao-chan. You look lovely today."

She eyed him suspiciously, but he smiled. "What is this?" she asked, turning her attention to the overloaded tray.

"It's breakfast in bed, Nanao-chan. Well, next to the bed. I didn't think you'd want the soup and syrup in bed, the surface is too uneven." He sat next to her on the bed.

"Breakfast?" She studied the tray covered in bowls and plates. There was udon, fragrant rice, a tall stack of waffles covered in syrup, eggs covered in sauce, sliced fruit, seaweed salad, and a steamed egg. "This is a lot of food for breakfast, and some of it doesn't seem to be for breakfast."

"I wanted to get the point for my excellent cooking skill and surprise you with the romance of breakfast in bed. I'm sure you can appreciate multitasking, Nanao-chan." He handed her a napkin and laid out several utensils on the tray.

She sipped tea—peach and delicious. "Multitasking at romance? That's very ambitious of you, especially at this hour. You're rarely awake this early." She sampled several of the dishes, finding them excellent.

"My desire to share a romantic breakfast with Nanao-chan was more than enough to get me out of bed this morning." He offered her a bite of waffle and she accepted it. The heavy sweetness of the syrup was pleasant, if a bit strange on her tongue.

"I see. But is eating breakfast in bed actually romantic? It seems it would be very messy." Syrup would be very sticky on the blankets if any spilled, wouldn't it?

He grinned. "That depends very much on what you're eating," he said, his voice dipping suggestively.

She gave him a repressive look, a faint blush on her cheeks despite her best efforts to suppress it. "We were talking about romance, not sex."

"Yes, we were. But food can be very sensual, Nanao-chan." He held a bite of melon between his fingers, bringing it to her lips.

She hesitated. He raised an eyebrow in amused challenge. She met his gaze, her lips parting for the fruit. He pressed the melon into her mouth.

"Fruit is firm on your tongue, but still soft. When you suck on it, so much sweet juice flows out. And it nearly melts in your mouth when you eat it. All of the delicious sweetness fills your mouth, dripping down. I love the taste." He picked up a piece of melon and swirled his tongue around it lovingly before he ate it, making a sound of pleasure that caught her breath.

She hurriedly ate her own fruit, turning her eyes to the tray. It just wasn't fair of him to come so early and surprise her in her sleeping robe while he was awake and handsome and talking about sensual things in that silky murmur. She swallowed heavily.

"Nanao-chan." She lifted her eyes to his. He was leaning toward her, one hand pressing into the bed for balance. Nanao froze. He was going to kiss her. She wanted to be kissed by him; she could admit that to herself. But they were sitting on a bed, he hadn't really been talking about fruit, and she had yearning flowing through all of her veins for him. He licked his lips.

Anxiety scratched at her. What was the best way to handle a situation like this one? "You can have the point for cooking," she said, shifting back and standing. "I need to get ready for work, or I'll be late."

He smiled and rose. His eyes were knowing and warm, and she felt a sting for her inexperience in this area. "Thank you." He came closer. "Can I have a kiss good morning, Nanao-chan? I think if we were married, we would share kisses in the morning."

"This is an unlikely scenario, isn't it?" She raised an eyebrow. "It's very early, and you're almost never awake at this hour."

"But I'm awake now, lovely Nanao-chan." He raised his hands and placed them behind his back, leaning down for her. His eyes twinkled. "I'll be good, I promise."

He'd accurately pinpointed her concern with his teasing, but that made her frown severely at him. It was the clearly the better choice not to sleep with her Captain while she was considering the possibility of marriage to him or to one of the men the matchmaker had chosen. Sex would complicate the already layered relationship she had with Shunsui. She knew that, but her heart still raced for him, her tongue darting out to wet her lips.

"Nanao-chan." He held himself still, bent over enough for her to kiss him easily, his expression open and relaxed. His wide mouth tipped up at the corners. He'd trimmed his facial hair this morning; his appearance was neater than usual. If only he'd make a stupid kissy face so that she wouldn't even be tempted to kiss him of her own volition.

A kiss was just a small thing, wasn't it? She was tempted. She'd enjoyed kissing him in the garden, and she was sure she'd enjoy kissing him now. "If we were married, and if we were even awake at the same time in the morning, we might share a kiss," she conceded.

He smiled. "I'd wake up just for the chance to have your kisses, sweet Nanao-chan."

"If you don't set an alarm, I doubt we'd be kissing in the morning very often. I get up quite early." Her hand drifted up to his jaw. His eyes watched her intently. "And this kiss does not guarantee that we will be sharing further kisses. This is a singular event."

"Of course, Nanao-chan." He held his breath when she raised her other hand to his cheek. That softened her further. Why would a man like him hold his breath when she touched him?

She went up on her toes to have her mouth even with his mouth. Her lips brushed across his softly, once and then again. His lips parted slightly, making the kiss moist and melon-flavored. He tasted good and she wanted more. She tentatively outlined his lips with her tongue. He made a sound of pleasure but she retreated, pressing her lips against his lightly and pulling back from the kiss.

"Good morning." She stepped away from him, dropping her hands.

"Good morning." He grinned, straightening. "Do you want any more of the breakfast?"

"No, thank you. It was delicious, and I'm very satisfied now."

"I'm happy to hear that. It's my pleasure to give lovely Nanao-chan satisfaction in all things." He brushed her lips with a teasing fingertip. "Do you need any more satisfaction, Nanao-chan? I'm at your service in any way you want."

She batted his hand away lightly. "What I need right now is to get ready for work. But I'll keep your offer in mind while I draw up the training schedules for next quarter."

"That's mean, Nanao-chan!" He winked at her and lifted the tray, strolling out of the room. "I'll see you at the office in a little while."

She pressed her fingertips against her lips, exhaling shakily. That was not the start she'd expected to have today. She'd take her time getting ready, and center herself before she faced him in the office. All of her boundaries were sliding and shifting in this marriage practice. It was disconcerting and surprising.

She shook her head. Making a logical, reasonable choice of husband was important. She would focus on the tangible reasons that Shunsui would or would not be a good choice as a match.

But she could still taste him on her tongue.

* * *

Nanao was watching him from across the office. She was doing it subtly, but Shunsui was too familiar with her not to notice. He wrote another character in his letter to his family and then glanced up, but she appeared absorbed in her work.

_Nanao Ise is a woman of refined sensibilities and the highest intelligence._

That was true and sounded good, like the type of thing a man should think of the woman he intended to marry. What else should he say? _Her passions are strong and_—no, he shouldn't mention something like that to his family, even if he intended it in the politest way.

He pressed the end of the brush against his lips, considering. When he looked up again he caught her eyes on his lips. She dropped her eyes and the faintest pink appeared on her cheeks, but she flipped the pages of her work as if he hadn't seen her staring. He grinned.

_She is beautiful and elegant. Her loyalty and dedication to our division are beyond question._

He might have imagined what greater intimacy with Nanao would be like but the reality of it was even more delightful. She was skittish and careful but attracted to him and willing to give. His heart had burst into a skipping run when she'd kissed him this morning, her lips sweet with syrup and fruit. _Nanao-chan's kisses are delicious_—no, that would embarrass her.

She'd been embarrassed this morning, and nervous about being on a bed with him. He'd thought since the garden that she probably didn't have much intimate experience with men, but after last night he thought it was more than that making her nervous. She'd looked hurt after he'd admitted to not telling his family. What had hit him when he saw the pain in her eyes wasn't just that he was important to her, but how much she wanted to be important to him. He could tell her that she was important to him a thousand times but it wouldn't be enough. She wanted to see it.

_Nanao is very important to me. Please look forward to meeting her._

He could be serious about Nanao. Shunsui just hoped that she was serious enough about him to brave the challenge of his family. One woman had once referred to his family as terrifying. But maybe terror was too dark a word—Ukitake had a few times made some meandering statements suggesting it would be deeply unwise to bring any women home because of the strong personality of Shunsui's family. He'd been right about that. The few experiences Shunsui had with bringing women to meet his family had been rather poor, and none of the relationships had persisted much beyond that point.

Nanao would be fine, though. She was a strong woman, and they'd do some training today to refresh her hand-to-hand skills.

And even if the meeting did go badly, it shouldn't matter much. Shunsui was committed to marrying Nanao. He could always appeal to her practicality and point out that they wouldn't need to see his family much after they were married.

He finished his letter, signing it with a flourish. Nanao watched him as he sent a hell butterfly requesting a courier. He sealed the letter and gave it over to the courier with some brief instructions for delivery.

Shunsui rose from his desk, grinning. "There, now you can consider my family informed, Nanao-chan. If you want to meet them, we can probably arrange it in a couple of days."

"Wouldn't a phone call have been easier? A letter sent by courier seems a bit old-fashioned." She raised an eyebrow.

He strolled to her desk, leaning a hip on the side and resting one hand on the surface in front of her. "Maybe. But if I called, someone might ask me a lot of questions. I prefer to have control over the way important information is delivered. Sometimes the old way is the best way for a situation."

"I suppose so." She leaned back in her chair.

"When you were at the Academy, did you send letters to your family? There weren't such advanced phone systems then."

She looked startled and then a little sad. "No, I didn't send many letters. No one wrote back to me much. What is your family like?"

She wanted to change the subject, that was obvious, but he wondered about her family. "The Kyōraku family is small, especially for a noble house. There are usually relatives popping up everywhere in those. I don't see my family often, but they've always been supportive of my career."

"But not necessarily of you personally?" she asked. Nanao had always been good at catching what he didn't say.

"I was difficult for them when I was young. I spent a lot of time with Yama-jii, because of my spiritual powers. So I didn't spend as much time with my family as they might have preferred, and I didn't have any interest in the martial arts. That's been our family's path for generations. I wasn't bad at it; I just didn't have passion for it. I'm sure they thought it was related to the time I spent with the shinigami."

"If you developed your powers early, spending time with Captain Yamamoto was likely necessary."

"It was necessary, but that doesn't mean my family was happy with the situation." He shrugged.

"I understand." She studied him with empathy in her eyes. "But you always seem to enjoy sparring when we practice together."

He smiled at her. "That has more to do with the company than with the activity itself, Nanao-chan."

She shook her head at him. "Was it only the martial arts that separated you from your family?"

"No. My father is a very goal-oriented man, and I just wanted to observe the world around me and let things develop naturally over time. It frustrated him that I didn't approach things the way that he did, that I didn't want to memorize information from books and practice in the dojo in the rigid way he preferred. In the end, my parents decided to send me to the Shinigami Academy."

"Were you upset about that?"

He shrugged. "No. The Academy was a good place for me to be then. I had a natural aptitude for the work and I made friends. Yama-jii was more indulgent with me than I probably deserved. Even if I didn't initially choose the path, it was a good fit for me, and I've made the choice to continue many times since then when I could have quit."

"I'm glad that you stayed. I couldn't imagine being without you." She continued in a rush. "That, is, you're a valuable asset to the Gotei 13 and Soul Society, so it's beneficial that you remain in service, Captain." She glanced down at her desk, obviously flustered.

But she was so cute. "I can't imagine being without you, either, Nanao-chan. But please call me Shunsui or maybe darling, sweetheart, dearest, lover—"

Her fan pressed to his mouth. "I will not use any of those ludicrous endearments."

He pouted. "You find my endearments ludicrous?"

"It's different when you say them. If I said them, they would sound ludicrous." She sounded very certain.

"I don't think that's true. How do you know that endearments wouldn't sound good in your voice? Have you used them before?" He didn't think he'd ever heard her use any of those words, in any context.

"Of course not! Those endearments are completely unprofessional. When would I say things like that?" she snapped.

He smiled. "Maybe you just need to practice a little. I'll kneel here, looking handsome and romantic, and you can use some endearments on me." He knelt beside her chair, grasping one of her hands.

"This is inappropriate behavior for the office." She pulled her hand away.

"Think of it as a part of marriage practice." He leaned forward, grinning. "You were making exceptions for the marriage practice yesterday."

"But it's very unlikely that I would use endearments if we were married." Her brows drew together.

"Just try it once, lovely Nanao-chan. You don't have to use them if it's uncomfortable for you after that."

She sighed, but her hands fluttered over his face, landing very lightly on his cheeks. She licked her lips, her cheeks a delightful pink. Her upper body curved towards him, over the arm of the chair. "Shunsui," she said softly.

His breath caught when she moved closer, her lips a whisper from his. He was lucky, so lucky, that this woman he wanted more than any other would want him, too.

Her lips parted, but no words emerged. Her eyes were indigo in this light and he could see himself reflected in them. She licked her lips and then pressed them together. "I don't think I can use the endearments."

"Sweet Nanao-chan."

"There are some things I can't say. Especially in the office."

"Don't worry about that. My name said in your beautiful voice is already a meaningful endearment to me."

She turned away from him, adjusting her glasses. "We've already agreed that I'll use your name during this marriage practice."

"Yes, and I'm very happy about that." He rose from his kneeling position, leaning against the desk beside her chair. "Don't worry about meeting my family. I'm sure it will go well, and even if it didn't, it would be fine."

"I'd like it to go well," she said, studying her hands on the desk.

"We'll do some sparring later, just in case. But I really believe that my mother will like you, Nanao-chan."

"Do you think so? Why?" She tilted her head to see his face.

"Yes. For one, you have the kind of work ethic she has, and that will please her. She still teaches classes almost daily at the dojo." He smiled.

"You sound fond of her."

"She indulged me a lot when I was young. Less when I was older, but still more than most people would have. I like to be indulged."

Nanao arched an eyebrow. "Most people like to be indulged."

"Do you want to be indulged, Nanao-chan? What can your Shunsui do to make you happy?" He leaned in close to her, murmuring in her ear.

She looked a bit surprised and he decided he must have been neglecting her in some way, if she could make that face. "Indulged? Normally I would tell you to do your work, but that was finished yesterday, and there isn't much that's new today. Putting work aside, I have no need for indulgence."

"But that can't be true, lovely Nanao-chan. Indulgence is for things and experiences that you don't need, but want. Everyone wants to be indulged, so please let me indulge you."

Her eyes lit up for a momentary flare before she spoke. "We're at work. And there's nothing like that."

But he'd seen desire in her eyes before she'd quashed it with her words. He tipped her chin up with two fingers. "Tell me how to please you, Nanao-chan. I'd love to indulge you in anything."

She licked her lips, her eyes lit with that desire and a hint of mischief.

"Just one thing," he coaxed.

"We have work today." But her eyes stayed on his. She wanted to be persuaded; that was all right, he had a lot of practice at persuading duty-focused Nanao into fun.

"We did so much work yesterday. You said there wasn't much. Our marriage practice is important too, and we should devote time to it." She was close to agreeing, so he pressed on. "Spending the afternoon together is the prudent, sensible thing to do. Tell me what you want, Nanao-chan."

""It's not precisely permitted," she said, her voice low, confiding.

His smile grew wider. How fascinating. "Even better."

"It's not precisely forbidden, either." She shifted to speak into his ear. "There's a place in the Rukongai where I would like to go."


	8. Chapter 8

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515, mild adult content.

**Notes: **This chapter references Lisa's bookstore. This is described in _The_ _Death Save the Strawberry _novel by Matsubara Makoto & Kubo Tite released in Japan earlier this year. A slightly more detailed spoiler is in the end note of this chapter.

Thanks to everyone for their reviews and favorites, and thank you for reading!

* * *

The ramshackle hut hardly looked like a destination Nanao would frequent, but she slipped inside quickly and waved him in. They were in the First District of West Rukongai, so he didn't have any particular concerns for safety, but it was still very odd. Inside the hut an old woman sat snoring.

Nanao coughed politely. "Excuse me."

The old woman opened one eye. "Eh?" Both her eyes went wide when she saw Shunsui.

"It's all right, we were sent by Rangiku Matsumoto," Nanao said quickly.

The old woman grinned toothlessly. "Welcome, customers!" She rose and shifted a rug, then lifted a panel in the floor. "Please come in."

Nanao hurried forward and entered the opening. Shunsui followed, intrigued. There was a staircase leading down deep into the earth. The space was surprisingly large and well lit, although it was still a barren rocky landscape. _Welcome to the Urahara Shop's New Rukongai Store! _ a banner stretched between two tall poles proclaimed.

"Urahara's shop?" Shunsui asked.

"Not precisely permitted, not expressly forbidden. He only opened this one recently. Rangiku-san has been trying to get me to come out here, but with the matchmaker's meetings and the arranged marriage issues, I haven't felt the inclination to go shopping." Nanao surveyed the area with interest.

There were racks of Living World clothes, display shelves of candies, a few magazines, and other items Shunsui couldn't immediately identify. "An import store? But not many magazines or books."

Nanao nodded. "He doesn't want to compete directly with Yadōmaru-sempai's bookstore, I imagine."

"There's a shop in Seireitei that sells Living World clothes, isn't there?"

She waved that away. "Yes, but that shop makes clothes based on a few old patterns they got from the Twelfth Division's castoffs. This shop has things that were made in the Living World recently. It's impossible to get items this fresh otherwise unless you are on assignment in the Living World."

"Interesting." He followed her as she browsed through the racks of clothes. She paused at a lavender dress with a deep purple velvet cummerbund.

"Would you like to try that dress on? It's a very fine garment for dinner or dancing," the shopkeeper said.

"I don't have much occasion to wear something like this—" Nanao started.

"I think you'd look lovely in it, Nanao-chan. Why don't you try it on?" He pulled the dress from the rack and handed it to her with a flourish.

"We have similar formal garments for gentlemen, too. Would you like to try some?" the shopkeeper asked, keen to make a sale.

"Why not?" Shunsui grinned at Nanao. She shrugged slightly, her lips smiling, willing to play along for now.

There were freestanding dressing rooms, oddly cramped and sparse in the cavernous space. Shunsui dressed in the formal suit, listening to the rustle of fabric in Nanao's space.

"There are shoes out here," the elderly shopkeeper called.

He stepped out and put on the stiff shoes. Nanao emerged a few moments later, stepping into the heels outside of her dressing room. The lavender dress did look lovely, as he'd thought it would. The thin straps left her arms bare, the dress hugged her slender figure to the cummerbund at her waist, and the skirt was cheerfully full and ended above her knees. It was made for dancing. He smiled.

"What? Does it look strange?" she asked. She smoothed her hands against the skirt.

"You look beautiful, Nanao-chan."

She stepped towards him and fussed with his tie. "It's not straight."

"Thank you, Nanao-chan."

She took a step back.

"Do you remember our dancing lessons?" He'd signed up for ballroom dancing lessons offered by the SWA, paying more than a quarter of the SWA budget for the year for the privilege of having Nanao as his somewhat reluctant partner. He'd enjoyed those twice weekly lessons enormously for eight weeks.

Dancing with Nanao in Living World clothes, holding her close, smelling her scent—it'd been a highlight for him. She'd enjoyed herself too, for all that she'd protested initially. Spinning around the ballroom at the Second Division she'd smiled, her eyes bright with pleasure.

"Why does the Second Division have a ballroom?" he'd asked.

"Vice Captain Omaeda paid to have it put in reasons unknown." She'd laughed. "I don't even think he dances." _Enchanting, _he'd thought. The dress she'd worn for dancing lessons had been black, appropriate but somber.

The purple she wore now was much more fun. He bowed and extended his hand. "Shall we dance?"

She hesitated. "I don't know if it's appropriate to dance in the shop's clothes."

The shopkeeper set a needle to a record on an old-fashioned player. A waltzing rhythm sprung up.

He grinned. "Indulge me."

She accepted his hand with a sidelong glance at the shopkeeper. "I'd accuse you of conspiracy, but I brought you here. I suppose we could dance, just one dance."

"The shopkeeper hopes to sell us these clothes, and I want to dance with sweet Nanao-chan in them. That's a very harmless conspiracy, isn't it?" He drew her in, his other hand resting on her bare skin—the dress dipped lower in the back, to his great pleasure. "A waltz?"

She nodded. He led her through the dance on the floor, incongruous against the rocky backdrop.

"Why don't we have a ballroom at the Eighth? I'd like one." He loved to dance with her. Nanao's natural grace and the delicate precision she moved with were mesmerizing.

Her lips turned up. "A ballroom has very limited utility and is expensive to install. If you want to dance, the common room is large enough, if much less grand."

"Would you dance every dance with me if we had a party there, Nanao-chan?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Absolutely not. Dancing every dance is impractical, no matter who you dance with. We'd want to rest, and chat with friends, and eat."

"Nanao-chan is so practical. And it is selfish of me to want all of your dances." He grinned. "But I told you that I was selfish in the garden the other day."

"Even so, I would engage in a moderate, reasonable number of dances with you, if we had a party." Her cheeks pinked slightly, as if she'd admitted to something that embarrassed her, and perhaps she had.

"You indulge me often, Nanao-chan." He pulled her closer to murmur in her ear. "I think you like to indulge me."

he kept her eyes on his chest. "There is a certain pleasure in doing things that will make someone else happy. Within reasonable limits, of course."

"There is pleasure in it. Do you know all of the ways that I would indulge you, if only you'd let me? There are no limits, Nanao-chan."

She shivered against him and that caught his breath. "It would be deeply inappropriate for me to allow that."

"If we were married, Nanao-chan? What could be inappropriate between us then?"

She lifted her eyes to his, and there was something beautiful and fragile there, something not yet completely formed. "If—if we were married—"

The song ended; the record skipped into static.

She pulled away from him.

"Nanao-chan—"

"It was only one dance," she said, more to herself than to him. She walked swiftly into the dressing room.

He changed slowly, handing the clothes and shoes to the elderly shopkeeper when he left the dressing room. "I'll take these and her dress and shoes, as well."

Nanao was browsing through the candy, making a few selections. "Do you think I should get the raspberry or the lemon?" she asked, considering two boxes with brightly colored fruit on the front.

He was simultaneously relieved and disappointed that she'd refused to acknowledge the earlier moment between them—relieved because she could have run away and hadn't, and disappointed because she might not be willing to return to that moment any time soon. "Let's get both. I'm indulging you, remember?" He smiled.

"That doesn't mean that you're buying me things. The indulgence was in coming out here in the middle of the workday." She selected the lemon box, turning away from the candy display.

He picked up the raspberry box. "Indulge me in indulging you, Nanao-chan."

She shook her head, smiling. "That doesn't make any sense." But she piled her candy on top of the raspberry box in his hand. "Don't get the idea that conspiracy is an effective strategy against me, or I'll have to make it painfully clear that you were mistaken."

"Nanao-chan conspires far more than I do. The SWA as an organization is always conspiring on one scheme or another, isn't it?"

"The SWA pursues many funding avenues, almost all of them entirely legitimate."

He grinned. "The not-quite-totally-legitimate ones are my favorites, though. Remember the bachelor auction of ranking officers? Nanao-chan paid a very high price for me."

She sniffed. "You were very cheap, actually. And I saved so much time by making you do the budget approvals all at once then, instead of trying to track you down everywhere."

"The budget paperwork wouldn't have been my first choice of a romantic date, but it made me so happy that Nanao-chan didn't want another woman to date me." He brushed a finger over her cheek just to see her eyes narrow and flash at him. "Nanao-chan, you—" he cut off when his eyes caught on a mannequin across the store. The mannequin wore a school uniform in the style of the one Rangiku Matsumoto had worn to Karakura and subsequently been photographed in for _Seireitei Bulletin_.

He eyes followed the path of his when he stopped talking abruptly. "Submit your offer in writing," she said primly, then walked to the counter, waiting for him.

He chuckled and strolled to the counter, paying for their purchases.

"I'll give you a point over the men in the file," Nanao said when they were outside the hut.

"What?" He turned to her, surprised.

"A point for indulgence. It is unlikely that any of them would be willing to go out to the Rukongai for anything, certainly not a frivolous desire to visit an import candy store."

"Frivolous things are usually the most fun. And it's more than a candy store, but yes, it's true that most nobles will never set foot outside of Seireitei."

"Neither of us truly resembles most nobles, I think. It's fortunate, because I really don't want to have a life filled with conversation about boars." She shook her head.

"That's not what our marriage would be. Our marriage would be full of indulgence." He slid an arm around her waist.

She tugged it off. "Which of us would be doing this indulging?"

"I'd indulge you, Nanao-chan, you know that. But I think you would indulge me if we were married. You already do to a certain extent now." He placed his hand at the small of her back this time, and she allowed it, turning to him slowly.

She shifted closer to him, hesitantly raising her hand to his neck. "I might," she whispered, applying faint pressure on the back of his neck. He bent forward. She rose on her toes. "I might indulge you then." Her words were small drops of sound, sweeter to his ears than anything. She tapped her fingers against his lips. "Maybe." She pulled back from him with mischief in her eyes.

He chuckled. "Are you playing with me, Nanao-chan?"

"Perhaps." Her lips curved up as she walked back toward Seireitei.

"How delightful." He caught up to her, leaning down to her ear. "Are you having fun?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "I am. I'm having fun with you." There was a thread of surprised pleasure in her voice. "I don't think the matchmaking process is intended to be fun, though. Perhaps I should apply myself more seriously to the task."

"But this is our marriage practice, and we get to decide what kind of marriage we want, don't we?" His arm slid around her waist again and this time she allowed it. "I'm glad you're having fun, Nanao-chan."

"We should get back to the office." She had a lovely blush on her cheeks.

"Yes. And Nanao-chan—you can play with me any time." He grinned.

She scoffed, but her cheeks stayed pink all the way to the division and his smile never faded.

* * *

She was ruthless.

Shunsui blocked the disguised strike to his groin and went for a hold. Nanao shifted out of range. She struck at his neck, drawing attention away from her real intention: breaking his knee.

He danced away from the blow, grinning. He'd taught her this ruthlessness, and he felt pride in seeing her apply it; pride in her skill and icy fierceness, and pride that she didn't feel the need to hold back with him. She'd never use this deadly focus in matches with the troops.

She would be fine if she did step into the dojo with his mother. It was doubtful that Nanao would win against her—his mother had the experience of thousands of years of training and teaching—but Nanao wouldn't disappoint her.

Nanao's skin glistened with the effort of their match, her breath rapid and her eyes narrow. She'd tied her hair back into a ponytail for this session. Her hairclip was much too delicate to risk.

He reached for her and she reversed his hold easily, but he judged the training today to be enough, so he shifted the balance of their weight and brought her down to the wooden floor, leaning over her. "You haven't lost anything since we sparred last, Nanao-chan."

She relaxed on her back. He was nearly certain she had been going for his throat before he spoke, but the tension left her when he ended the match. "I have a very good memory, and I do still practice regularly."

"We should train together more often. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed one-on-one training with you." He bent further over her reclining body, one hand supporting him on the floor next to her head. Would she let him kiss her now? He lifted one hand to her warm neck, tracing down to the dip of her collarbones.

Her lips turned up. "I think we stopped because I had reached the limits of what I could do without extremely devoted training, and because you kept trying to steal kisses, as you are now."

"It's hard to resist. Training gives your skin a lovely vibrancy. You smell like cherry blossoms, Nanao-chan." He leaned closer.

"The vibrancy is sweat and the cherry blossoms are from my soap. I chose it for spring." Her eyes dipped to his chest, exposed by his uniform and gleaming from their exercise.

He smiled. "Spring is my favorite season. Could you blame me if I stole a kiss from you, the very embodiment of my favorite things?"

"Yes," she said promptly.

He chuckled. "What if I asked? Nanao-chan, may I kiss you, please?"

"Anyone might come in." The training room at the division was a public space, used throughout the day. Working hours would be over soon, but that was not a guarantee of privacy.

"I told the boy with the desk nearest to here to tell people this room was occupied, and to use another."

She made a disapproving noise. "What if someone has important training to do?"

"They'll probably do it in the courtyard." He bent closer to her lips.

"What did you think of my hand-to-hand skills? We should review the training." She licked her lips.

"You were excellent. I'm very happy with the training, and I'm very happy to be here with you now." He murmured the last bit in her ear.

"But what about your mother?"

"You'll be fine with her, Nanao-chan. I told you, she'll like you." He shifted his head to see her eyes. "I'll confess that my mother isn't on my mind at the moment." His fingers stroked her collarbone.

"That was the point of the training, wasn't it? Preparation for meeting your mother?"

"That was the point, but now I'm alone with my lovely Nanao-chan, and your scent is sweet cherry blossoms, and I want you to kiss me."

"You are not taking this visit to your family as seriously as I am." She frowned at him.

"I am taking the marriage practice seriously, and I'm being serious with you, Nanao-chan. But my family will not impact what's between you and me, so there's no need to worry about visiting them." He shifted to rest on his side next to her, his head propped up on his hand, his elbow supporting the weight. His other hand still drifted over her throat. He wondered if she'd let him part her uniform just a little, to expose more of her beautiful skin.

She gave him a level look. "Yet it seems probable that your wish to have this training is based on some past experience."

He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "Yes, but that was a very long time ago. I was young and in retrospect some of my decisions might have been questionable."

She shifted to her side to face him, mimicking his posture. "You brought women to meet your family who were then forced into sparring with your mother? That is the impression you're giving me."

"Forced is the wrong word." He traced the line of her elegant neck to her shoulder. She permitted his touch, which was a thrill and a pleasure.

She raised an eyebrow. "What word would you prefer? Threatened? Persuaded? Coerced?"

"None of those. Challenged, perhaps. My mother has always been interested in seeing new styles of martial arts, and she was curious about the training that the women might have had." He hoped mentioning his previous lovers didn't make Nanao uncomfortable. Even though she was the one who'd asked, he wasn't certain that she wouldn't be bothered.

Nanao laughed. "Do you really believe your mother challenged those women to see their martial arts style?"

She was always clever, which pleased him. He affected an innocent look. "What are you suggesting, Nanao-chan?"

"Don't give me that face, I don't believe you. You know perfectly well that your mother wanted to take the measure of those women on terrain she'd chosen. So how did it go? Did any of them win?"

He hesitated. "No one ever accepted her challenge."

Nanao's expression grew somber. "I see. They weren't invested enough in you to go that far."

That stung a bit. "You're probably right, Nanao-chan."

She shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said it like that. It's entirely reasonable to refuse challenges from martial arts experts for reasons that could be entirely unrelated to a relationship."

"That may be, but a negative impression was left on both sides." He smiled, but he knew it didn't reach his eyes.

Her brows drew together.

A minute passed in the quiet, the sounds of the division muffled around them.

Nanao tapped his lips with her index finger to regain his attention. "You should give me a point."

"What?" He blinked at her.

"You should give me a point, because I'll accept your mother's challenge." She nodded crisply.

He pretended to consider it. "I haven't been using any sort of points system, Nanao-chan."

"So? If you were using points, you would obviously give one to me for accepting the challenge from your mother."

It was novel to have her pursuing his favor in this way. Shunsui liked it enormously. "I suppose if I were using points, I might give you one for that."

"Might?" She leaned over, poking him in the chest.

He fell easily onto his back, tugging her with him.

She lifted herself off his chest, resting her hands on either side of his head, half-kneeling over him. "I most certainly should be given a point."

Her determined face sent pleasure and pride through him. "Of course, Nanao-chan, you're right. I'll give you the point."

She smiled triumphantly. "Excellent. I accept."

"We should seal our agreement with a kiss."

She tipped her head to the side a little. "You want me to kiss you?"

"Yes. In celebration of the point." He puckered his lips.

She shook her head, amusement in her eyes. "Is it to seal our agreement on the point or to celebrate it?"

"Both. Or only one, if it wins a kiss from you." He grinned.

She gave him a disapproving look, her eyes still laughing. Her hand came up to the side of his face. "Do not imagine that I am condoning your behavior, regarding the training room or the stealing of kisses."

He smiled to hear her scold him in that prim voice while her hand caressed his cheek. "I wouldn't imagine anything like that, Nanao-chan."

Her lips came down on his slowly, her eyelids fluttering down. She kissed him, a little shy, and pulled back almost immediately. But when his mouth followed hers she welcomed his kiss. Her lips were moist and silky and she gasped when he nibbled her lower lip. He wanted to taste more of her, but she'd initiated the kiss and that was precious.

She broke the kiss, breathing shallowly. Distantly he could hear the sounds of the division, but they disappeared when she kissed him again, more boldly than the first time.

He brought his hand to the back of her neck, bringing her closer and shifting the angle of the kiss. She made a sound of pleasure in her throat that he echoed. It felt so good to be with her like this, with their bodies warm and touching in such delightful ways. He deepened the kiss, his tongue playful with hers, and she dug her hands into his hair.

She was still on her knees and he ran one hand down the curve of her spine to one cheek of her very lovely backside. It was too tempting—he squeezed and she made a surprised sound, pulling away from the kiss. "Anyone might come in," she whispered, glancing at the door.

He drew his hand away. "Nanao-chan? I'm sorry, was that too far?" He wanted to touch her, but he didn't want to do anything she wasn't ready to allow him.

She sat neatly on her heels beside him, licking her lips. "Was it too far? I don't think so, it's just that this isn't really the place, and I haven't—" she broke off, staring at her hands in her lap.

He sat up, curling one hand around the hands in her lap. "It's fine, Nanao-chan. This isn't the best place, you're right." They were still very new to the physical side of a romance and if she wanted to go slowly, he could do that. He kissed her forehead softly. "The bell rang for the end of the workday. Let's go home and cleanup. I'll make you dinner, Nanao-chan."

She nodded. "Thank you for the point." She touched his hand fleetingly.

He smiled. Her touches always gave him a spark of pleasure which never seemed to fade. He rose and offered her his hand with a flourish. She accepted his help in standing, and they walked together through the emptying division.

* * *

**Spoilers **for the _Death Save the Strawberry _novel: During the timeskip, Lisa opened a bookstore carrying a lot of adult material in Soul Society.


	9. Chapter 9

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515.

Thank you to everyone for reading, and to everyone that reviewed, I appreciate your thoughts. ^_^

* * *

Nanao peeked out of the bathroom door. Shunsui was not in his bedroom. She slipped out of the doorway, carrying a neat bundle of clothes that needed washing.

Shunsui's house had four full baths, a number beyond what one man could need. It was not a particularly high number for nobles—she'd seen the inside of the Kuchiki house—but it was more than Nanao's family home had. At least, she thought it was; to her irritation, she couldn't specifically recall. When she'd been there for the match meetings, only one bath was regularly filled and heated.

She crept through Shunsui's bedroom, feeling like a trespasser, even though he'd insisted she use his private bath.

"It makes the most sense to share, Nanao-chan. If you used the guest bath during our marriage practice, it wouldn't be accurate. I'm sure that we would share a bath if we were married," he'd said.

She'd conceded the argument reluctantly and used his bath after he'd cleaned up from their sparring match.

"Lovely Nanao-chan can relax in the bath while I make dinner. That's very domestic, isn't it?"

"Yes," she'd agreed.

Now footsteps signaled Shunsui's arrival. "Did you have a nice bath, Nanao-chan?" he asked from the doorway of the bedroom.

She shifted the laundry from one arm to the other, uncomfortable. "Yes, thank you. Your bath is very pleasant."

His eyes went to the laundry. "You can put your things in with mine. The Fourth Division picks up from here tomorrow."

"No," she said immediately. "I can't, there's a form that must be filed to change the pickup location for a shinigami's laundry."

"There's paperwork for even such a small thing?" He looked bemused. He wore casual clothes in blue that revealed a wide triangle of chest.

She felt exposed in her yukata with her laundry in her hand. "There is a form for everything, you must know that by now." She brushed against his arm as she left the bedroom. This was much too intimate and ordinary at the same time.

"I prefer not to think about forms that closely." He followed her to the guest bedroom, strolling behind her quick steps. "Nanao-chan."

"Yes?" She stuffed the laundry into a bag in the closet, angling her back to him.

"I think you should move your things into the other bedroom, Nanao-chan. I emptied a closet for you."

She turned around, surprised. "What?"

"If we were married, we would share a bedroom, wouldn't we?" He walked closer until he was only a few steps away.

"Perhaps we would. But many nobles use separate bedrooms."

"That's true. But if we were having the kind of intimate, close marriage that you wanted, we'd share a bedroom, share a bed." He reached for her hand.

She let him take her hand, her heart speeding up. He wanted to share a bed now, during their marriage practice? "I don't think it's necessary to do that now." She pulled away, straightening her things in the closet.

"The marriage practice is the perfect time for taking the measure of our compatibility in many areas, including this one. There are so many important questions that can be answered by sharing a bedroom, Nanao-chan." He smiled at her.

How could he be so relaxed about something like this? Her heart was running as if it would break out of her chest. She'd kissed him twice today, but she'd overreacted when he'd touched her during their kiss. Surely he'd noticed? This was much too fast for her. Maybe he had this type of conversation with women all the time, but Nanao had never been in this position. She scowled, summoning up icy reserve. "There have to be reasonable limits to the marriage practice. Asking me to sleep with you is beyond those limits."

His brows rose. "Was making love the first thing you thought of when you thought of sharing a bedroom with me? Naughty Nanao-chan. I'm a little scandalized. Intrigued, but scandalized." He grinned.

"As if I'd believe I could scandalize you so easily. You know what you were implying with your suggestion. You wanted to sleep together and thought that it would be very informative." She crossed her arms under her breasts.

"It would be. We'd find out if one of us steals the blankets, or tosses and turns, or likes to cuddle in their sleep. Are you a cuddler, Nanao-chan?"

"I am not," she said decisively.

"You might discover unexpected desires for cuddling with me by sharing a bed."

"That is extremely unlikely. I don't believe that it's necessary to measure our ability to share a bed during the marriage practice. We could always have separate beds in the same room, if we aren't capable of sharing."

"Separate beds aren't very close or intimate, Nanao-chan." He closed the distance between them, rubbing her tense shoulders.

She frowned. Sharing a bed seemed like too much. But she did genuinely want a close relationship with him. "Given the circumstances, perhaps we can reach a compromise. If it was a large bed, with a lot of space between us, so that we could each maintain our own comfortable distance, we could share."

He smiled. "As it happens, my bed is very large. I hope you'll be comfortable in it with me."

"You will not attempt to cuddle with me without my consent. If you do that, or if you steal the blankets, I'll correct your behavior swiftly and with any necessary force." She raised her brow.

He laughed. "Any necessary force, Nanao-chan? What kind of force do you like to use in bed?"

"You don't want to find out," she said crisply.

He leaned in, murmuring in her ear. "Fiery Nanao-chan. I'm dying to find out."

"If you find out, you may actually die."

"I think our marriage practice is going remarkably well, don't you?" he asked, grinning widely.

"That is an odd position to take, since one of us may not survive the night." But it was so like him, to savor the dance between them, even when it was laced with knives.

"You have to take some risks to win great rewards."

'She glanced away. Did he think her a great reward? This marriage would cost him—not just in money, but possibly scandal in his social circle, disapproval of his family, sanctions from the Central 46—he could pay a high price for a marriage with Nanao. Was it worth that much to him?

"Nanao-chan." She turned her eyes back at him when he stroked her cheek. He knew the line of her thoughts; she could see it in the unexpected seriousness of his eyes. His voice was gentle when he spoke. "How are you finding the marriage practice, sweetheart?"

She took a relieved breath. He hadn't answered her unspoken question with words, but his question had an answer echoing under it. _It's worth that much. I want to go on with you_. She took that answer seriously, and she would take his question seriously, too. "I am finding certain aspects of the marriage practice to be challenging."

He kissed her temple tenderly. "I know. Getting closer, especially with the pressure of the match meetings, could be stressful. But I don't want you to worry about our physical relationship."

"What do you mean?"

"Our physical relationship doesn't have to be dictated by the timeline of the matchmaker or the arranged marriage. If we do get engaged and married, I want you to be comfortable with me in bed. I want you to make love with me because it's what you want, not because of an arbitrary deadline imposed on our relationship by your family's financial situation. Do you understand, Nanao-chan?"

"You want to separate the progress of the matchmaking from our physical relationship with each other." She met his eyes and was drawn in by the warmth there. Even when he was the biggest stress in her life, he was also the biggest comfort.

"Yes. The status of our relationship might change to society, but our personal relationship, our closeness—that's between us—and we decide how and when to move forward. You can decide, Nanao-chan."

She liked that. She would have control over some aspects of their relationship, even if they did marry quickly because of the Ise estate's needs. It was a reassuring idea. She wanted to reciprocate for his frankness with some of her own. "I'm going to be difficult for you, in many different aspects of this relationship." She lightened her tone. "And I may yet hit you with a fireball kidō in bed if you steal the blankets."

"That's one way to keep things hot." He laughed, low and rich. "We can be difficult for each other. But you're delightful to me, Nanao-chan. I wouldn't trade any of it."

"Under the circumstances, it would be acceptable to move my things into your bedroom as an exercise in the marriage practice," she said.

He grinned. "I'd love to help move Nanao-chan's delicate undergarments."

She swung the bag of laundry at his chest. "Absolutely not."

They moved her clothes into the empty closet in his bedroom, which smelled strongly of wood, likely from whatever chests he'd stored there before.

"When did you empty this closet?" she asked, after her clothes were arranged to her satisfaction.

"After the match meeting." He'd hesitated, as if he was concerned that she would find that presumptuous.

"That was prudent, making arrangements in advance. It would have been disconcerting to be invited to share, only to discover that no space was available to me."

"Prudence? That's a virtue you've rarely suggested I have." He grinned.

"You've rarely demonstrated it." She raised an eyebrow at him, closing the closet and moving out of the bedroom.

"You're prudent enough for both of us, Nanao-chan." He followed her out into his large, airy living space. "Do you want to eat?"

"Yes, thank you."

She relaxed while eating dinner with him. He was a good conversationalist, and his food was delicious. She could see them doing this in the future, sitting at the table and eating meals. Some of the aspects of the marriage practice were a stretch for her, but this was easy and comfortable.

After dinner Nanao read a book on a cushion Shunsui set out for her on the porch by the light of a lamp he brought out for her. He lounged next to her, looking at the garden. Sitting with him was also easy and relaxed, though her tension rose as the hour grew late and bed approached.

She closed the book, gripping it in her hands.

"Do you want to go to sleep, Nanao-chan?"

"Yes. I go to bed a bit earlier than you do, I believe." She rose and nodded to him, as if she would be going to bed alone. It would be easier that way, if he came in later, when she was already asleep.

"I'll go to bed now too, Nanao-chan." He stood, bringing the lamp inside.

She went into the bedroom while he was still bringing cushions into the house. Her nerves tingled throughout her body, but she prepared for sleep and then hesitated at the large bed. What if he preferred a certain side?

But she didn't want to be stuck here staring at the bed when he came in, that would be much too awkward. She got into bed and lay on her side, facing the window. Shunsui walked into the bedroom, preparing for bed. She listened to his sounds with her eyes closed.

"Do you want more pillows or blankets, Nanao-chan?" he asked from the vicinity of his closet.

"No, thank you." She kept her eyes closed.

He turned out the lights and got into bed. "Are you comfortable?"

"Yes," she lied. Her discomfort wasn't caused by the bed, which was deeply cushioned and quite decadent, and there was nothing he could do short of removing himself from the bed that would make her more comfortable. "Do you prefer a certain side?"

"No, this is fine. Whatever you prefer, Nanao-chan."

What she would prefer would be to be in her quarters some distance away. She couldn't see how this could be any more awkward.

His hand slid over her waist, resting easily on the curve of her hip. He slid closer, until his chest pressed against her back. She stiffened into a wall of tense muscles.

"I don't want to cuddle," she said, her face burning in the dark. He couldn't see her—she'd chosen to face away from his side of the bed—but he retreated promptly away from her body.

"I don't think that went as far as cuddling. But I'm sorry, Nanao-chan. I don't want you to be uncomfortable. I thought we might get used to each other slowly."

She squeezed her eyes shut. This was too embarrassing. The only way this could be worse would be if he knew she didn't have any experience with this type of thing. "We talked about this already."

"I know. Nanao-chan, I'm not sure what your other experiences with men may have been like, but I want you to be at ease with me when we're together. This is about developing intimacy with each other, not just about making love." His tone was serious.

"Those are very different things." But she wasn't really familiar with either.

"I know. And this situation is unusual with the marriage practice and the matchmaking, but it's not only new for you. I've never tried to develop a relationship under circumstances like these, either. And if we marry, we'll both be novices at that. You're not alone, Nanao-chan."

She exhaled on a long sigh. It was sweet of him to try and reassure her. She was a little touched that he would show vulnerability to give her that reassurance. She turned over on her other side, facing him. "You rarely admit to being a novice at anything."

His lips curved up. "In most situations, if I said something like that, it would be a lie."

She remembered the image of him crossing a wide gulf of experience in a fundoshi and hiking boots and smiled. He was a man who'd lived long and lived richly. But the two of them were in this strange situation together now, both of them on new ground. "Maybe we can try sleeping like that tomorrow. I'd prefer this to go slowly. Can we do that?"

"Of course, sweetheart." His eyes were lit with warmth and surprised pleasure in the moonlight. "I don't want Nanao-chan to feel obliged to light the bed on fire. It's a much better metaphor than a reality."

"Now that would be really uncomfortable." She smiled. Her fingers brushed his in a bare touch, and he grasped her hand and squeezed it.

She flipped over onto her other side, facing away from him again. "Good night, Shunsui."

"Good night, Nanao-chan."

* * *

She couldn't sleep. Minutes or hours had passed—she wasn't sure which—but despite her weariness, her mind wouldn't stop turning. Nanao rolled over to her side, facing him. "Shunsui? Are you asleep?" she whispered, almost soundless.

His eyes opened immediately. "I'm awake, Nanao-chan." He sounded alert, but she wasn't sure if she'd woken him or not; he had the ability of an experienced soldier to wake up quickly in emergencies.

"I was wondering—" She hesitated. What she wanted to ask was a very personal question that stuck in her throat. It was possible that she would hate his answer, so should she really ask him?

"What is it? I want you to ask anything that you want to know, Nanao-chan."

"I'm not sure that I want to know," she said, biting her lip. "Forget that I said anything."

"That kind of question, is it? Ask me, and I'll answer carefully." He smiled, his teeth gleaming white in the unlit room.

"You've never used a matchmaker before?" she asked, trying to find a good approach.

"No, I haven't." He waited for her real question, watching her intently.

"Then you've probably never had a file like mine, full of possible matches. Even so, you must have had an idea of what you'd want in a wife, maybe a list like mine. But you haven't been married, so—have you ever been close to marriage before?" Even these more direct questions were still dancing around her real question.

He propped up his head on his hand, his elbow on his pillow. "I've never been married. Have I been close? I would say no; I don't know if the women I've been involved with would agree completely." There was a sadness to his smile. She'd seen him look like that many times before.

"Did those women not match your list?"

"I don't have a list in the way that you mean. There are things I would like to do with my wife, qualities that I hope my wife might have, but there aren't a lot of absolutes for me."

She propped her head up in an imitation of his posture. "What are your absolutes? As you know, mine are currently: must have money, give back rubs, and make good tea." She smiled to lighten the mood.

"What are my absolutes?" He rubbed his chin, considering. "When I was a young man living on my family's estate, the women I met were either nobles or in service to my family. The noble ladies were demure, and it was as if they'd been trained not to show passion for anything. I found them beautiful, but I couldn't imagine marrying one of them. They were like ornaments—lovely to look at but I'd always have to be careful with them. The servants and the workers on the estate were also very demure, for different reasons. They were deferential to my perceived authority. If I'd pursued a relationship with one of them, she would have spent all of her time trying to please me."

"You don't want to be pleased by your wife?" Nanao tilted her head at him.

"I don't want to be served by my wife. There's a difference. In the Gotei 13, the women were varied and interesting. Soldiers and scholars. But I became a Captain early, and the deference problem arose again with some women."

"I am your direct subordinate at the Eighth." Nanao frowned.

"To call you deferential or demure would do you no justice, Nanao-chan. You manage the daily operations of the division, and you manage me, which is no small task. If you shrank from conflict or always ceded to my wishes, you'd never be able to keep the Eighth working."

"It is a difficult job at times," she admitted, smiling slightly.

"I know it. I can be a difficult man, Nanao-chan. What I need in a wife is not any specific thing like your list. What I need is someone who can stand to live with me. I want someone strong and lovely, someone serene in certain settings when appropriateness is necessary, but honest with me when we leave those settings. I want you, Nanao-chan."

She pushed up, leaning forward with her weight on her hands. "I've been unfair to you."

His eyes widened. "What?"

"I didn't consider that you should also be satisfied of our compatibility during our marriage practice." Her brows drew together.

He smiled. "I'm already satisfied that we're compatible, Nanao-chan."

She shook her head. "You said you have things that you want to do with your wife. We should do those things and make sure that this marriage would be suitable for you."

His hand came up to cup her cheek. "You're really sweet, Nanao-chan."

She frowned at him. "It's the practical, reasonable thing to do. Marriage is important."

"Yes, it is." He sat up to cradle her face in his hands. "When do you want to start?" His voice was an invitation, dark silk over her skin. He shifted closer, his head tilting to kiss her.

She swallowed and stopped his kiss from reaching her, turning her head slightly. "Tomorrow. It's very late now."

He smiled and kissed her hand. If he was disappointed that she didn't take his invitation, it didn't show. "You should get some rest." He dropped his hands, watching her resettle onto her side of the bed. "Good night, Nanao-chan." She saw him fall back on his pillow out of the corner of her eye.

"Good night."


	10. Chapter 10

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515, mild adult content.

Thanks for your reviews, and thanks for reading!

* * *

There was an incessant, high-pitched chirping poking at the edge of Nanao's consciousness. She wiggled deeper down under the blankets. The warbling symphony of tweets didn't match her alarm or any other sound that she recognized, and her body registered the hour as too early for rising.

The blankets over her ears helped muffle the sound, as did the breathing of the man she was using as a pillow. But the noise was relentless. "What?" she murmured, trying to figure out the nature of the sound without fully waking up.

"Baby birds," Shunsui said, his words rumbling under her ear.

"No." Nanao shifted deeper into the blankets, moving lower down Shunsui's body, attempting to deny the existence of baby birds and their cries. She rested her head on Shunsui's chest, her hands tucked inside his sleeping robe, one of her legs thrown over his thigh. It was so warm and comfortable here. If only the birds would be quiet, she could fall asleep again in Shunsui's embrace.

Wait, what? She jolted up, tipping the blankets back, her hands caught in Shunsui's robe. "What?"

The air outside the blanket was crisp; it was barely dawn. Nanao shivered.

"We're sleeping, Nanao-chan." Shunsui didn't open his eyes, caressing her back with one hand.

"Together? Why?" She sounded shocked to her own ears and winced.

"Marriage practice. Come here, Nanao-chan. It's too early to get up and you need more sleep." His voice was sleepy and soothing. Shunsui pressed lightly on her back with one hand.

Nanao lay back down beside him and Shunsui pulled the blankets back up. She was still drowsy and it was pleasant to be in bed with him, her hands playing thoughtlessly with the curling hair on his chest and his heartbeat steady under her ear.

But the needy chirping outside was relentless. She opened one eye. "This is how you managed breakfast in bed yesterday morning, isn't it? The birds woke you up."

"Yes. It's not cheating, Nanao-chan. You said that we could resume the marriage practice at dawn, and you didn't say anything about alarm clocks or about hungry baby birds." He opened his eyes, heavy-lidded and amused. His hand brushed her hair away from her eyes with soft strokes.

"You used the birds to enhance your performance in the marriage practice." She rested her chin on her hand on his chest. Her other hand was tangled in his sleeping robe under his back somehow, and she tried to extract it without drawing a lot of attention to the problem. Actually getting stuck to the man was embarrassing, although she was still insulated by the drowsy warmth of first waking.

"I wanted to impress you. I suppose you could say I used the birds to enhance my performance in the marriage practice, although I never thought of it that way myself, Nanao-chan." He smiled lazily. His hand came away from her face to loosen his sash, letting her hand flutter free of his robe.

"The birds are not helping you with impressing me at the moment." But she realized suddenly that his robe had slipped when he'd loosened his sash, and now her leg was resting against one of his bare thighs. She was not going to look to see where else the robe had slipped. She extracted her legs from his, pulling her hands away from his skin and slid off him, curling up on her side. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.

He rolled on his side, his large hands reaching for her and pulling her back against him. "If I'd moved the baby birds, Nanao-chan would have been disappointed in me. Besides, isn't it nice to be together like this, cuddling in the morning?" He pressed a kiss behind her ear.

She swallowed hard, her hands against his chest. "I don't know if this is a good idea."

"The birds will quiet down when they've eaten a bit." One of his hands rested on the curve of her waist.

"Not the birds," she whispered, shifting back from him. Touching him was much too enjoyable, stimulating and comfortable all at once.

He smiled at her, his eyes playful in the early morning light. "Nanao-chan? Are you upset because I know your secret?"

"What?" Her eyes widened.

He smiled. "Nanao-chan is a cuddler."

She exhaled a relieved breath. He hadn't said that she was obviously inexperienced. But he'd called her a _cuddler_. That was almost worse. "I am not."

"You are. You rolled right over to me and cuddled. I was delighted." He grinned.

Had she? It could be true; she'd certainly been happy and comfortable when she'd woken up on top of him. "I'm sure it was only because you were warm," she said, excusing her unconscious actions.

"I'm still warm, Nanao-chan. Come over here and we'll cuddle." He opened his arms widely. It was an inviting offer, but she was out of the depths of her experience here.

She sat up. "I should be getting up anyway. It's obvious that the birds aren't going to stop, and I won't be able to go back to sleep."

"Nanao-chan, come back to bed. We don't have to sleep." He grinned up at her, his broad chest exposed by his inadequate sleeping robe, his hair loose and curling against this skin.

She shook her head, backing up on her knees before standing. "I do not cuddle." She marched away from the bed.

"Can I have a kiss good morning, Nanao-chan?"

She shut the bathroom door behind her with a firm clack, covering her hot cheeks with her hands. Cuddling? Performance-enhancing birds? He was clearly damaging her thinking.

She washed quickly but lingered in the bath; it was so early she would have plenty of time to get to the office. When she emerged from the bathroom in her robe Shunsui was sitting up in bed, rolling his head on his neck.

"What do you want to do today?" she asked, going to the closet to get her clothes for the day, and trying very hard not to stare at him. She settled for stolen glances out of the corner of her eye. He was nearly naked, his robe barely on at this point.

"I'd like to lounge in bed with cute Nanao-chan." He smiled, stretching his arms over his head.

She selected her clothes quickly, blocking his view of her chosen undergarments and then hiding them in her folded uniform in her hands. "Today we are going to do things that you wanted to do with your potential wife, remember?" She strode back into the bathroom.

"But lounging in bed with you would be one of those things, Nanao-chan," he called.

She emerged from the bathroom, dressed and neat. "It's too late for that now. What else do you want to do?"

He watched her, leaning back on his hands. "Let me think about it. I don't want to waste this opportunity."

She nodded. "Think about it and let me know. I'm going to get breakfast at the mess hall. I'll see you in the office. Remember that your next chapter is due for the Seireitei Bulletin soon, you should work on that today."

"Don't worry, Nanao-chan, even if I can't get my new chapter to Hisagi-kun in time, I'll still let you read it. I wouldn't want Nanao-chan to be anxious over the cliffhanger in the last chapter."

"That's really not what I'm concerned about. Hisagi-kun calls me when you're late with your chapters, remember?" She arched an eyebrow at him.

"Yes, and we had such a good time when I was late with my beautifully romantic chapter last month. With Nanao-chan's gentle encouragement, the words flowed out so easily." He grinned and she shook her head at him.

"I tied you to a chair and hit you repeatedly with a fan when you tried to steal kisses or escape. Gentle encouragement is hardly accurate."

"The power of our deep romance inspires me to write my glorious story of love, Nanao-chan."

"We clearly have very different recollections of that afternoon," she said. She turned to the door. "I'll see you later, Shunsui."

"Don't run away yet, Nanao-chan."

Her back stiffened. "I wasn't running."

"You're so energetic in the morning, Nanao-chan. Come here for a minute, please." He held out his hand, smiling enticingly.

She eyed him suspiciously. "What do you want?"

"I was just thinking that I would like to share a kiss in the morning with my wife, Nanao-chan." He puckered his lips.

"I am not your wife. Stop making that face."

"No, you're not yet—but you asked me about things I'd like to do with my wife and this is one of those things."

She stepped towards the bed, stopping short of his reach. "This is a rather physical request."

He nodded. "That's true, and it would be dishonorable for me to expect physical favors from you during marriage practice. I wouldn't do that, Nanao-chan. This is just for a kiss, like the one we shared yesterday morning." His expression was open and honest.

"We did discuss the possibility of kisses in the morning then."

His lips curved up. "Yes. We agreed that if we were both awake in the morning, we would share kisses."

"We _might_ share kisses," she corrected, but knelt on the bed next to him. He was too tall and had a height advantage in this position. She needed more control. She pressed on his chest with one hand and he fell back on the bed.

"Nanao-chan." He was still as she smoothed his curling hair away from his face.

She bent over him. "This does not mean that there will be more kisses in the future."

"You don't have to say that every time, Nanao-chan. I won't take your kisses for granted." His eyes were tinted silver in the gray light of morning, the lines around his eyes fanning out from the corners. His age did show on him, but she could admit to herself that it was one of the things she found attractive about him. He'd lived so long that she was sure that he would always be there, a strong force at the center of her life.

She leaned her weight on one hand, the other stroking his hair absently. "I don't want to mislead or disappoint you. I am not a particularly affectionate person."

"I couldn't be disappointed with you about anything like that. It's my honor to receive Nanao-chan's affections. Don't worry about managing my expectations."

Her brows drew together. She'd been trying to manage his expectations for a physical relationship with her since the marriage practice started, because she had virtually no experience in this area, and he had so much more. But perhaps it would be alright to let things drift a little and find their own equilibrium. Perhaps she would linger in his bed tomorrow morning. She could think about it.

His lips were wide and full and she brushed her fingertips over them lightly. Sensual lips, lips meant for kissing. She'd been spending too much time with him lately, she was even thinking like him. She bent and her lips kissed his with a confidence that surprised her. The kiss was silky and light and she nibbled at his lower lip, seeking more from him. He responded to her immediately, his hands embracing her, tugging her down onto his chest, his tongue velvet and playful in her mouth. He was good at this, not just at kissing, but at making her feel that she had his complete focus and that he had all the time in the world to spend with her.

She ran one hand down his chest, her nails raking lightly against his stomach, sliding down his side to his back to clutch him to her. The texture of his skin was fascinating to her, the crisp hair covering his hard muscles such a contrast to her own skin. He made a sound of pleasure in response to her touch and she felt powerful.

"Do you like that?" she asked, running her hand across his stomach.

"Yes, very much. Touch me as much as you want, anywhere that you want, Nanao-chan." He smiled, his lips a touch from hers.

She kissed him again, lingering over his lips. "Think about what you want to do today," she murmured.

"I'm pretty happy with what we're doing now, Nanao-chan," he said, raising his head for another kiss.

She smiled against his lips. "I'll see you at the office." She pulled away from him. He lounged in the bed, content to watch her. She stood, straightening her uniform. _This could work_, she thought, and the idea froze her in place.

"Do you want to come back to bed, Nanao-chan?" He smiled invitingly.

She hesitated. "Not today." It was a softer refusal than she'd normally have chosen and his smile widened.

"Maybe tomorrow, sweet Nanao-chan."

She nodded to him and left the room, her thoughts overflowing. The marriage practice was working. She could imagine herself with him, living in this house, sleeping in that bed. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time. She exhaled shakily and headed to the Eighth Division. Nothing would settle her like the routine of work.

* * *

Shunsui considered the contents of the picnic basket with a focus some men would reserve for war strategies. This basket was worthy of this level of attention because it would serve as an important final step to his goal of winning Nanao.

The marriage practice was working. He'd seen it in the morning, when she'd come back to him after jumping out of his bed. She'd bathed, dressed, and returned to him for one kiss that turned into four or five kisses. Not only that, she'd touched him, curious about what he liked.

He couldn't be happier with the way his relationship was developing with Nanao. For all her disclaimers about not being affectionate, he'd discovered to his surprise and pleasure that she wanted to touch him—accepting and now initiating kisses, biting and sucking on his skin in the office, and cuddling up with him in her sleep. She'd curled up on him like a cat, to his delight.

She was everything that he'd wanted and still more than he'd expected. That was why he studied the contents of the basket with such interest. Gaining Nanao's favor was his highest priority right now.

He wanted her to be his wife.

With that determination strong in his mind, he closed the basket and headed for their office at the Eighth. "Good afternoon, sweet Nanao-chan. Are you ready for our picnic?"

She looked up from her work, setting her brush aside. "You were gone for a long time."

"I needed to make sure that I have everything for Nanao-chan's perfect picnic." He grinned.

"Today is for things that you want to do to be satisfied with our compatibility, remember? It's not for impressing me."

"Every day is for impressing you."

Her lashes swept down briefly, her mouth softening, but she spoke crisply. "That's unnecessary. But we can go now, if you like."

He led her to his own gardens, to a grassy clearing surrounded by trees and fragrant flowers, arranged with artful wildness. The blanket he'd packed for this was thick and soft. He would have been fine with using his haori as ground cover, but on the off-chance that Nanao wanted to roll around with him, he wanted her to be comfortable.

He welcomed her to sit with an exaggerated flourish and she watched him arrange food trays and books to his satisfaction with indulgent warmth in her eyes. When he produced an ice bucket and a bottle of champagne from the basket, she laughed. "Isn't that a bit too far? It's just lunch."

"It's a romantic picnic lunch, Nanao-chan." He poured two glasses and offered one to her.

"It is your day." She sipped from the glass. "It's good."

Kisuke Urahara had insisted that this vintage had high appeal for women, and Shunsui had dubiously paid a good sum for the imported luxury. Apparently Kisuke was right. Shunsui would have to buy a case next time, if Nanao liked it. He sampled from his glass. "You're right, Nanao-chan."

"Do you bring champagne and chocolate on all your picnics?" She tilted her head. There was no twinge of jealousy or resentment in her voice, just amused curiosity.

He smiled. He'd been a little worried when they'd started the marriage practice that she would be bothered by his previous relationships, but after their conversation last night, he wasn't worried anymore. She treated their potential marriage as an entirely new endeavor for both of them. "This is a first. But if it goes well, I'll make sure to pack both on our future picnics."

She sipped from her glass as they sampled their way through the picnic foods. He refilled it for her when it was empty, which she allowed. "I shouldn't drink very much, since this is lunch."

"Take the afternoon off."

She shook her head. "I've been taking a lot of time to spend it with you on marriage practice, so I'd like to be in the office for at least half of the day."

"If you insist, although I'd love to stay out with you all day."

"That would be a little too irresponsible for me." She smiled slightly.

"Then let's enjoy the time we do have." He drank from his glass. "I've received a response from my family."

She sat up straighter, tensing. "What did they say?"

"My father and brother are traveling for a martial arts event, but we can go to see my mother if you'd like."

"Tomorrow?" she asked with a thin thread of worry in her voice.

"The day after tomorrow would be better, so that I can send a reply and she'll have time to prepare." They could have gone tomorrow, but it seemed too soon for Nanao. She'd want to prepare as well. Nanao was the kind of meticulous, organized person his mother would like, he was certain.

"That sounds fine. I'll plan for that. What should I wear?"

"You look lovely in anything." She waved off his flattery, so he answered the question another way. "I think you would be beautiful and appropriate in one of your silk kimonos, Nanao-chan."

"That would be fine. But what about sparring with your mother?"

"She might not ask." He could hope that she wouldn't ask, at least.

Nanao raised an eyebrow.

"Why not bring a change of clothes for the dojo, then? Wear your lovely outfit, and if you need to change, you can." He wondered which kimono she would choose. It didn't matter, really, since she was beautiful in anything.

"I'll do that." She nodded.

"Nanao-chan, the truth is that I'm not terribly close to my family. I care about them, and my parents are good people, but Yama-jii was more to me when I was young that they were. He was like a father to me."

"I understand. I am not very close to my family, either."

Shunsui remembered how tense she'd been when he'd asked her if she wrote to her family from the Academy. He wondered if he could draw more information from her. "It was hard for my family when I developed such strong spiritual powers so early. Yama-jii knew exactly what to do with me, though."

"Yes, it was like that for my family. My parents were never unkind to me, but they always seemed surprised by me. I don't think they'd planned for a child. When I developed spiritual powers things became very difficult." She looked down at the glass in her hand.

"What happened?" She'd always been private about her family. He'd never heard any of this before.

"My parents ignored the development of my powers for as long as they could. Generally they ignored me as much as they could. Kasumi-bāchan said I had to go to the Academy, but no one listened to her. Then I had a nightmare and threw lightning into a corner of my room while I was sleeping. The house caught fire. I was lucky that Kasumi-bāchan had insomnia that night."

His heart missed a beat. "She saved you?"

"She saw the smoke from the garden and ran in for me. They were able to save the house, but not my room and the adjoining one. After that, Kasumi-bāchan insisted that I be sent to the Academy, and no one stopped her." There was a heavy sadness in her voice.

"Did you want them to stop her?"

She emptied her drink and he refilled it obligingly. "Going to the Academy was the best thing for me. But there was—is—a small part of me that wishes my parents had cared enough to fight for me, just a little bit. Even if I still had to go, if they would have just considered other options, I would have been happy."

"I'm sorry. Parents should fight for their children, Nanao-chan."

She shook her head. "They weren't the kind of people that would do that. My father buried himself in his books. He was a scholar of obscure languages. I would try to connect with him through books, but as a child my understanding and thinking weren't sophisticated enough to engage his interest."

"And your mother?" He kept his tone neutral despite the feelings her story evoked in him.

"She was beautiful, very beautiful. I can't remember her face, but I remember her hands, her clothes, her smell. She had the softest skin and kept her nails shining. She always wore the Ise silk and smelled of fine perfume. I was small and plain and too messy to please her. I tried very hard to stay clean and neat, it was just—not enough."

"You were a child." He thought of Nanao as she'd been as a child: intelligent, tidy, always following rules and trying her best to surpass expectations.

"I wasn't enough." She read his expression and shook her head. "They weren't bad people. They were ordinary nobles, benevolent if neglectful most of the time. It's possible I might have become someone they would have engaged more as I got older. They just never knew what to do with me." She rubbed at a spot of ink on her hand.

"Nanao-chan." He took her glass, set it down on a tray and clasped her hands in his. She had beautiful hands, delicate, with slender fingers, and neat nails shining with care. Her palms had callouses from sword work—she was too practical to remove those, he imagined—but her skin was soft and smelled faintly of flowers. She'd always been scrupulous about having her scars treated and removed, if possible, by the Fourth Division.

"Don't look at me like that. Don't feel sorry for me, it's unacceptable." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I don't feel sorry for you. I feel empathy, Nanao-chan. I know what it feels like to be a changeling to your family." He raised her hands to his lips and kissed her fingers.

"I do wonder what they would have thought of me as I am now." She smiled faintly. "I like to think we would have had good conversations now and again."

"You are a very accomplished woman, Nanao-chan. I'm sure you could have good conversations with anyone." He released one of her hands to grasp her waist, pulling her close. "And you're beautiful and elegant. Any noble family would be lucky to have you."

"Do you think you'll get anywhere with such brazen flattery?" Tenderness and amusement lit her eyes.

He grinned. "I have more. Nanao-chan is lovely and sweet and brilliant—"

Her hands clutched his chin, pulling him down enough for her to kiss him. The angle was uncomfortable for his neck, so when the kiss deepened he shifted to lay her down on the blanket. She resisted, pushing him back. He fell on his back easily, tugging her with him.

She kissed him with an enthusiasm perhaps partially from the champagne, but judging by the heat of her eyes when she pulled back, some of it was desire for him, too. "I prefer to be on top," she murmured, and then looked startled she'd said that out loud.

He laughed. "You can be on top of me as much as you like, Nanao-chan. I've always admired a woman who knows what she likes."

She blushed prettily, shaking her head. "This has been more fun than I would have expected."

"Picnicking, or kissing me?"

"All of it. The marriage practice with you has been fun." She sat up, stretching her arms. "When Kasumi-bāchan asked me to consider an arranged marriage, I thought it would be an unpleasant process, with the possibility of a cold and unwanted marriage at the end of it."

He sat up, leaning back on his hands. "I'm glad that you're enjoying our marriage practice, Nanao-chan. But I was surprised that you would consider an arranged marriage at the request of your family at all."

"You were surprised because I'm not close to my family?"

He nodded.

"I can see why you would be surprised. All that's left of my family now is Kasumi-bāchan and my niece and nephew, really. At first when Kasumi-bāchan asked me to consider the match meetings, I was going to refuse."

"But you didn't."

She looked off into the distance. "No. When I thought more deeply on the question, I remembered all of the residents of the Ise estate. More than that, I thought about how glad I am that Kasumi-bāchan sent me to the Academy. Because of her, I went to the Eighth Division, which has become very important to me."

"You're very important to the Eighth, Nanao-chan. And you're very important to me, too."

Her eyes slid to his, liquid and warm. After a pause she spoke. "I thought that I owed Kasumi-bāchan at least an effort at some initial match meetings. But none of those men had much appeal as husbands."

"Do I have much appeal to you as a husband, Nanao-chan?"

She picked up her glass and sipped, breaking eye contact. "You have accumulated a number of points over the men in the file."

"I have." When she didn't look at him, he tried another tactic. "I think you should give me a few more points, Nanao-chan."

"For what?" She turned to him, surprised.

"For the romance of the picnic, for one." He smiled.

She nodded. "I'll give you that point for romance. What other points did you want?"

"I think you should give me a point for wanting you on top."

"On top? You mean on top of you? That's ridiculous. I am not giving you a point for that." She set her glass down to wag her finger at him.

"I'm showing openness for your preferences in bed, Nanao-chan." His grin widened as she made an outraged sound. She was so much fun to tease.

"You cannot have a point for that, certainly not at this early stage of our relationship." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I could describe all of the other ways I'd indulge you in bed." He let his voice dip suggestively.

"That's unnecessary." She was lovely in her indignation, her cheeks pink, her eyes lit with fire, her lips still swollen from his kiss.

"I'm only trying to provide you with all the information you need to make a good decision about giving me this point, Nanao-chan."

She rose on her knees and pushed on his chest, pressing him back against the blanket. She shook her head at him. "You should want me on top of you. Rewarding you with a point is ridiculous when it's something that you would want as much as I would."

His blood heated at her unintended admission of desire for him. "I want you in any way that I can have you, Nanao-chan. I just want you." He brought his hand up to caress her elegant neck and shoulder.

"And you believe that distinguishes you from the men in the matchmaker's file?" She frowned, considering.

"I believe those men would desire you. A man would have to have interests in entirely another direction not to find you desirable. What I can promise you is that I will always consider your wishes and pleasure above my own in bed. That is something I don't believe those men would offer you."

"The point is not really for having me on top, but for a more general consideration in sexual relations, then," she said primly.

"Sexual relations? You're going to make me blush, Nanao-chan." He tugged her down, closer to his face. "Say it again."

She sniffed at him. "You aren't taking this seriously." One of her hands pushed against his chest for leverage, but her other hand sank into his hair.

"I take making love very seriously, Nanao-chan." He raised his head to nibble at her lower lip.

She turned her head and he released her lips. "I'm not going to give you the point now. I'll set it aside until a later time, when more data is available."

"I'll give you data," he murmured, kissing her. She sank down on him, her upper body resting on his chest, her lips parting for his tongue. He loved kissing her, loved the way she invited him with soft lips and a hint of bite, loved the way her body melted into his.

She pulled back for air, her eyes violet and unfocused. "This could work," she mused in a bare whisper.

He was surprised, but if she wanted to be more intimate with him now, he didn't mind. "It's a beautiful day, and I'm yours, Nanao-chan. We can do anything that you want."

She looked startled, blinking. "I meant—" she swallowed her words, sitting up.

Comprehension struck him. "You meant that you and I—we could work? Our marriage could work?"

She fidgeted her fingers in her lap and he sat up, wrapping an arm around her waist. His lips teased at her neck. "Nanao-chan's judgment is excellent, as always. We'll have a beautiful, strong marriage, Nanao-chan."

"We could have," she corrected, but exposed more of her neck for his lips.

He made a sound of agreement against her skin, too pleased to quibble over language. The marriage practice had worked, better than he could have hoped. He was sure that when they returned to the Ise estate to meet with the matchmaker, Nanao would accept his proposal.

He drew back to see her face. She was flushed from his kisses and the champagne, her eyes heavy and her lips wet. "There's something else on my list for the afternoon."

"What's that?" She allowed him to tuck her against his side.

"I want to read love poetry to you. When you're my wife, I'll do this often."

She raised an eyebrow but waved her hand beneficently. "If that's what you want to do on your day, please go ahead."

He lifted a book, opening it to his desired page with one hand, his other holding her against him. She rested her head on his chest while he read, her eyes closing, her hands curled in his uniform unconsciously.

It was a perfect afternoon, by Shunsui's standards. He'd courted Nanao and won her favor. Soon she would be his wife. He watched her relax against him, confident and happy in their relationship.


	11. Chapter 11

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515.

I've been really busy this week, so this is a bit later than I'd expected. ^_^; Thanks for your reviews and for reading this story!

* * *

_I will attend recruiting meetings at the Shinigami Academy with you next quarter._

Nanao contemplated the written offer Shunsui had left on her desk before he'd left for the advanced sword drills class he'd volunteered to teach. He really was trying to impress her. But the offer he'd made for her to wear the school uniform was much too low.

She dipped her brush into the ink. _Your offer is declined. Please revise your offer upwards._ She nodded, waving the paper to dry it.

The door to the office opened and Rangiku flowed in, dropping to the sofa with a sigh. "It's so warm over here. The office at the Tenth is freezing."

"I would imagine that your Captain would like to gently encourage you to do more work." Nanao rose from her desk, intending to deposit the paper on Shunsui's desk.

"Gently encourage? Ha. I told him my boobs were going to get frostbite and he was completely unmoved." Rangiku gestured at her chest. "Can you believe that?"

Nanao's lips twitched up. "Captain Hitsugaya is very hard-working and focused."

"He really is. He needs to relax. What's that?" Rangiku plucked the paper with the rejected offer from Nanao's hand as she passed near the sofa. "Is Captain Kyōraku trying to bribe you for something?"

Nanao snatched the paper back. "It's just a game we're playing." She deposited the paper on Shunsui's desk and returned to the seating area, sitting in a fat chair.

"Oh? Lucky Nanao. I wish I had someone to play sex games with."

"It's not a sex game," Nanao snapped.

Rangiku raised her eyebrow. "Isn't it?"

"Maybe," Nanao conceded. She couldn't say for sure that it wasn't—Shunsui obviously wanted to see her in the uniform for titillating reasons, and she wasn't sure what their relationship would be like when she accepted one of his offers and wore the uniform. "It's complicated."

"It usually is. Maybe Shuhei-kun would play games with me, but his Captain is too serious. I stopped at the Ninth before I came here and Shuhei-kun could only talk for a few minutes, they're so busy over there."

"It's a lot of work, publishing the_ Seireitei Bulletin_. Would you like some tea?" Nanao rose from the chair.

"Sure. Where is your Captain, anyway? He's usually here at this time of day, isn't he?"

"He is usually here." Nanao slipped out of the office and prepared a tea tray at the office kitchen. "But at the moment, he is leading an advanced sword skills training," she said as she came back into the office with the tea.

"Leading training? Voluntarily?" Rangiku accepted a cup of tea.

"He is trying to impress me." Nanao settled back into the chair.

"I see, because of the arranged marriage thing. Is it working? Are you impressed?"

Nanao hesitated. "I am leaning in that direction, however, any positive impression must be balanced against the fact that he should do things like the training anyway, since it's his duty."

Rangiku huffed. "You're hard to impress, Nanao. You sound like my Captain."

Nanao sipped her tea. "I do feel a certain empathy for Captain Hitsugaya's position. After all, if you're here, it means there's probably neglected work being left to him at the Tenth."

Rangiku shrugged. "Yes, but I had to come over here, after I saw Shuhei-kun." Rangiku sat up, looking somber.

Nanao set her tea cup carefully on the table. "What is it, Rangiku-san?"

"I wasn't sure if I should tell you or not, but things like this don't go away just because you ignore them. Shuhei-kun sent me a text to come over to the Ninth. You know that the _Seireitei Bulletin_ accepts unsolicited articles for publication when they have space?"

"Yes, I am aware of that." Nanao frowned.

Rangiku pulled some folded up papers out of her sleeve. "Shuhei-kun wanted to show me an article that they'd received unsolicited, to get my opinion on it." She opened the papers and handed them to Nanao. "It's an anonymous submission, and it's about you, Nanao. Shuhei-kun wasn't sure what to do, so I told him I'd take care of it."

"What?" Nanao skimmed the pages, a heavy sickness building in her stomach. "What is this?"

"In theory it's an article announcing your possible engagement to Captain Kyōraku."

"It's nothing more than gossip and innuendo and—" Nanao exhaled in a hissing sigh.

"In theory it's an article. In reality it's a unflattering teardown of the two of you." Rangiku shifted on the sofa to lean towards Nanao, resting her hand on the arm of the chair. "They won't publish it."

"Of course they won't publish it. The _Seireitei Bulletin_ is a respectable paper. Did you read this?"

_Nanao Ise was recruited at a very young age as a top selection for the Eighth Division at the request of Captain Kyōraku. Although still a child and an unseated officer, Ise was trained by Vice Captain Lisa Yadōmaru under the close supervision of Captain Kyōraku. Ise was elevated to the empty Vice Captain position by Captain Kyōraku at an age that shocked many onlookers, despite lingering questions about her qualifications. With the possibility of a marriage between the two on the horizon, some say that they are reminded of the classic story The Tale of the Genji. _

"And it goes on from there. Do you know what they are implying?" Nanao's hands tightened on the pages.

"They're drawing a comparison between Captain Kyōraku and Hikaru Genji. They're implying that he selected you as a child to be trained as his wife. It's just gossip and innuendo, Nanao, you're right about that. It's nothing true."

"There are enough twisted truths in it to make it sound plausible that he plucked me from the Academy and had me groomed to grow up into his wife." Nanao rose and paced to the window, blood pounding in her head.

"But that's not what happened. Everyone who knows the two of you knows that this is a lie. And it's not going to be published, Nanao." Rangiku was soothing and earnest but Nanao shook her head.

"Someone took the time to do this, and to do it well enough that it's hard to see how it could be someone who doesn't know us." She flipped through the pages. "They took care to make it something that could slide into a publication, if Hisagi-kun had been rushed or an underling had added it in without thinking."

"Yes, but that didn't happen. I wasn't sure if I should tell you or not, because I didn't want you to be hurt by an ugly unpublished article, but I thought you should know that someone did this."

Nanao nodded. She returned to the chair, sitting heavily. "No, I'm glad that you told me. It's better to know. Thank you, Rangiku-san."

Rangiku made an acknowledging sound in her throat.

"But Shunsui is quoted here. '_In a world of beautiful flowers, Nanao-chan has always been the loveliest to me. I'm very lucky,' Captain Kyōraku said. _Why would he give someone a quote about me without telling me?"

Rangiku waved her hand in a denying gesture. "That quote seemed familiar to me, so I had Shuhei-kun look it up in the back issues. Captain Kyōraku did say that, but it was for the article about the SWA's ballroom dancing fundraiser."

Something very tight in Nanao's chest eased a bare inch. "It's all a manipulation, isn't it?"

"Yes. The article is put together well enough to pass a glancing inspection, but it can't stand a deeper look."

"Someone wanted to humiliate us publicly." Nanao straightened the pages carefully and laid them on the desk.

"I've thought about that a little, actually. I don't think this article is targeted at you, Nanao," Rangiku said.

Nanao frowned. "Please explain."

"If the article intended to cut you down or belittle you, there are juicier places to hit you personally. It doesn't even mention the loss of fortune of your family, or the way that your nobility is at stake in the matchmaking process. That's why you're considering an arranged marriage in the first place. If someone was targeting you, that's where they should have hit—at your pride and at your family. But they didn't."

Nanao picked up her tea, staring at the surface. "Instead they went for a Hikaru Genji angle, something that makes it look like Shunsui has arranged our entire relationship."

"Exactly. Accusing him of selecting a child and having her brought up to serve his whims puts Captain Kyōraku in a very unflattering light. That's without considering any of the other unsettling implications."

Nanao winced. "I don't even want to think about that."

"The question is: who would have written this article?" Rangiku asked.

"I wish I knew. But given that it's targeted at Shunsui, the possibilities are much wider than they would be if it was targeted at me." Nanao rubbed at her temples.

"True. And since it's just a malicious little article and not any sort of aggressive physical attack, it really could be anyone. Jealous shinigami, former lovers, enemies he may have made—it's a lot of possibilities."

Nanao's shoulders slumped a little.

"Don't look like that, Nanao. This isn't anything that you have to worry about. Shuhei-kun will monitor the submissions box very closely from now on. If this is the best someone can do to hurt the two of you, it's not very much at all." She pressed her hand over Nanao's, squeezing encouragingly.

"I know that. But I still feel—disturbed." She fell silent. It hurt to be attacked this way, and even though only a few people had seen the article, she felt ashamed and exposed.

"I understand. It's a hurtful, hateful thing to do." Rangiku's eyes were warm and comforting.

Nanao gathered herself quietly for a few minutes, until she was sure no tears would leak into her voice. "Thank you for telling me."

"Of course. We're friends, Nanao."

Nanao smiled weakly. "I feel as though I've been taking a lot of your time and giving you my problems lately, without doing much for you."

Rangiku looked surprised. "Friendship isn't a balance sheet, Nanao. Your life has been more interesting and difficult lately. Mine is dull right now. I can't even find anyone to play sex games with me." She made a pouty face.

Nanao shook her head. "I'm sure that Hisagi-kun would play sex games with you, if he could get the time away from work."

"He needs to practice his escapes. I could teach him a few things." Rangiku grinned.

"You could certainly teach him about avoiding Captains and work." A new thought occurred to Nanao. "I should apologize to you. I accused you of ditching work this afternoon, but it's actually my fault that you aren't at the Tenth, since you came here to tell me about—that."

Rangiku laughed. "I was going to skip out anyway."

"Do you want to stay for a while? I'll get more tea."

"Sure, I'm not going back to work any time soon." Her difficult mission fulfilled, Rangiku leaned back into the sofa cushions.

Nanao collected the tea things and lifted the tray, going out to the office kitchen. Her hands were steady as she poured fresh tea, but inside she felt unbalanced. All of the beautiful lightness she'd felt at the picnic was gone.

She straightened her shoulders and raised the refilled tray, determined to enjoy the afternoon with her friend, but suspecting that she would fail.

* * *

Nanao sat at her desk, staring at her work without really seeing it. Rangiku had left an hour ago and Nanao still hadn't finished a single piece of paperwork. The bell for the end of the workday began to ring in the distance.

The office door opened and Shunsui swept in. "Good afternoon, lovely Nanao-chan."

She glanced up. "How was your training?"

"It went well. Have you noticed that one of the Sixth Seats is lagging behind a bit in sword skill?" He leaned a hip on her desk.

She rubbed her temples. The tension headache that had started with Rangiku's visit was throbbing in her skull.

"Nanao-chan?"

She looked up at him. "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"

"Are you feeling alright? You don't look well, sweetheart." His voice was full of concern and she felt a flare of sharp resentment.

She pushed it down. It wasn't his fault that someone wanted to hurt him and had hurt her in the process with the newspaper article. "I'm fine."

"Did something happen today?"

She focused on the paperwork in front of her, shifting it into a pile. She wouldn't be finishing this work today. It wasn't right to be angry with him, though. She would discuss this issue with him calmly.

"Nanao-chan?"

She stood, picking up her kidō book. "We need to talk. I would prefer not to do it here."

"Of course, Nanao-chan. The bell rang for the end of the day. Do you want to go home?" He had worry in his voice and in his eyes.

His house was very private. At least the location of the conversation should spare her further embarrassment. "Yes, that would be fine." She left the office and stepped into shunpo without waiting for him.

He stayed with her easily; he was too fast to lose. She detoured from the house into the garden, looking for a bench. It would be easier for her to have this conversation on a bench than across from him at his table. She would be able to sit in profile to him, and that would be less revealing. A stone bench in an unexpected opening in the path appeared and she sat neatly.

He sat next to her, too close, touching her arm with his hand, her thigh pressed against his. "Nanao-chan?"

She shifted over slightly to escape his touch and pulled the article out of her book, handing it to him wordlessly.

He read quickly, his expression sober. "This was for the _Seireitei Bulletin_?"

"Yes, an anonymous submission." The bench was surrounded by bushes blooming with flowers. It was a beautiful spot, but Nanao took no pleasure in it now.

"This isn't going to be published, Nanao-chan." His voice was reassuring.

She waved that off, irritated. "Of course it won't be published. Hisagi-kun saw it this morning and pulled it out of the submission pile."

He sighed. "Then it's just an unpleasant little incident, and nothing will come of it."

Her eyes narrowed. "What did you think of the article?"

"It's something intended to be hurtful to us, but it won't be published, so it's not important, Nanao-chan." He touched her arm and she fixed him with a hard stare.

"Saying that it doesn't matter because it won't be published misses several issues of some significance. Deliberately, I imagine."

He tipped his head in acknowledgement.

So he didn't want to talk about this with her. She could understand that, but it wasn't good enough, not when she'd all but agreed to marry him earlier today.

"What's bothering you most, Nanao-chan?"

"Saying that it won't be published is true, and it does minimize the damage, but it doesn't eliminate it. My friend Rangiku-san has seen it; my colleague Hisagi-kun and whatever shinigami under him read through the submissions box have seen it. This is—unpleasant."

"That's only a few people, and they will keep this private, Nanao-chan. The shinigami at the Ninth won't spread this article, I'm certain that their Vice Captain and perhaps their Captain have already told them to keep this private." The coaxing in his voice set her on edge.

"It is embarrassing and unacceptable that my friends should be obliged to protect me this way." Her back was so stiff that her shoulders began to ache.

"I'm very sorry that this has hurt you, but I'm sure that your friends care about you and are glad to protect you from this article." He was so careful, so gentle in his speech that she couldn't stand it.

"Do you know who wrote this?" she asked, facing him fully.

"No." His answer was quick and certain.

"You noticed that the article was directed at you, I presume." She raised an eyebrow.

He hesitated. "Yes, I noticed, but it would be impossible to say who might have written it."

"Impossible to say? I would suggest that the pool of suspects must be rather small, actually. It's likely someone familiar enough with us to get enough of the details right to be believable, and someone with an agenda to publicly humiliate both of us."

"Nanao-chan, what do you want to ask me?"

"You really can't think of anyone, no enemy you may have made, no scorned lover, who might have written this article, who might have enjoyed sabotaging our marriage? I know you don't have any resentful underlings from the Eighth who would write this; you're too beloved there." She crossed her arms.

He hesitated again. "I don't think it's productive to try to discover the origin of this article, Nanao-chan. Even if I track down the person responsible, it's doubtful that anything worthwhile will come of it. This article is a small gesture, and it's had the largest impact that it will be able to have on us already. It's very unlikely the person responsible has the ability to do any further harm."

"That's not enough. Really, how many people could there be in your past that would do something like this? How many enemies have you made? How many lovers have you had?" The questions were bitter in her mouth. She rose, pacing the path in front of the bench.

"Nanao-chan." He stood, striding to her and grasping her shoulders. "This isn't worth your attention, sweetheart. Just let it go, please. I'll talk to Kensei-kun and make sure that nothing like this ever goes into publication."

She shook her head. "How many?" Her brows drew together. That he wouldn't look into this at all, that he didn't think it worth his effort, distressed her deeply. Were there too many suspects?

"I didn't think you were bothered by my past relationships, Nanao-chan," he said, his voice carefully neutral.

"I wasn't bothered by them before. But I am very concerned now." Her eyes stung.

His hands rose to cradle her face. "Please don't worry about my past, Nanao-chan. You occupy a special place in my heart and in my life. You'll be my wife, Nanao-chan."

She grabbed his wrists, pulling his hands away from her face. "You think I'm jealous?" She stalked to the bench, her head high. He had more romantic experience than she did, but that didn't mean she necessarily envied him that experience or felt envy for those that had relationships with him before. After all, she hadn't considered a relationship with him seriously until very recently. It wasn't that she'd never felt jealousy about his attention to other women or that she wasn't feeling a bit of it now, discussing his lovers. But it was such a small part of her issues with this situation that she felt demeaned. "They can keep you," she said, ice dripping from her voice.

"Nanao-chan." He sounded alarmed, and she felt a small miserable pleasure at that. His hands turned her to him. "I was only trying to reassure you of your importance to me. Please don't make any rash decisions. Let me make this up to you." He kissed her jaw, her cheek, the corner of her lips.

Make this up to her? He wouldn't investigate, wouldn't even talk seriously with her about the possible suspects or motivations, and he thought things would be fine if he did some paperwork? "Please let me go."

He froze, straightening slowly. His hands released her shoulders and hovered in the air, as if unwilling to retreat completely. "Nanao-chan, please don't let this small attack come between us. That's what the person that did this would want to happen."

"Now you have an interest in their motivations?" She shook her head and moved to the bench, sitting wearily.

"My primary interest is always in you. This is obviously bothering you, but no, I don't really care about someone taking a swipe at me. It happens, and sometimes it connects, but I won't spend my life hunting down everyone who thinks badly of me. It's not worth it. Enjoying our time together is much more important to me than tracking someone who dislikes me enough to have spent a few hours writing a rude article. I only care about this because it affected you." He sat beside her, taking her hand.

She allowed his touch, considering his position. She didn't like it; the article hurt her, and the idea that someone wanted to humiliate them hurt her more, but there was some merit to his stance. He wanted to spend his time on positive things, instead of negative ones. He'd probably endured many more attacks of all kinds over his long life than she had.

"It's just an article, pieced together to sound as disturbing as possible. It shouldn't come between us, sweetheart." He kissed her temple and shifted closer on the bench.

"I don't like the idea that someone we know harbors a grudge against us." She sighed.

"No, it's unpleasant to think that. But I don't believe it's anyone we're close to, Nanao-chan."

"It's not anyone that _we_ are close to, I would agree." Slapping at him for his past lovers was poor form, but she was hurt, and she wanted him to feel that.

"What can I do to make this better for you? I don't want you to be unhappy, sweetheart." He responded to her stinging barb with genuine concern.

She relented, unable to maintain her anger when he was acting so loving. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. I don't think I have the appropriate perspective at the moment for discussion to be worthwhile."

"Nanao-chan, after our conversation last night, I hope you know that I'll be as open with you as you want me to be. Not pursuing the source of the article doesn't mean that I'm closing out discussion with you about anything." He kissed her cheek and she turned slightly towards him.

"I already know that you're no Hikaru Genji. You might have the strategic planning ability for something like that, but you're too romantic. You would never do that."

He smiled. "I want you to choose me because you want me. If that's a romantic notion, then I'm a romantic."

"You are a romantic, there's no question about that." She didn't want to apologize for what she'd said. She'd been angry but she didn't feel that she'd been wrong, necessarily. There was a gulf between their perspectives on the article that probably couldn't be fully bridged. She tipped her face up to him instead of speaking.

He kissed her lips softly. "Nanao-chan."

She leaned her forehead against his. "Let's put the article aside for now. There is one thing, though—"

"What is it, Nanao-chan?"

She knew the article had no basis, but she wouldn't mind the reassurance of hearing it from his mouth. "There was no merit to any part of the article, was there?"


	12. Chapter 12

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515.

**A/N:** Thanks for reading, and thanks for your reviews! I enjoy hearing your responses to this story.

* * *

He didn't answer right away so she lifted her eyes to his face.

"Shunsui?"

"There's one thing that I should probably tell you. Not because the premise of the article is true—it's not, I didn't choose you as a child to be my wife—but because I don't want you to hear it from another source and wonder." He looked serious and her heart dropped.

"What is it?"

"Every year before top candidate selection at the Shinigami Academy I would tell Lisa-chan to get the youngest and prettiest girls. It was just a joke. I trusted her to select candidates without any guidance, so I joked about it."

Nanao nodded.

"The year she recruited you she told me she'd gotten the very youngest girl possible, so I should stop asking her to pick up any more girls. I thought she'd gotten tired of the joke, so I didn't make it during candidate selection after that." His hand tightened on hers when her breath caught.

"Yadōmaru-sempai recruited me as a joke?" There was a knot in Nanao's chest that wouldn't ease.

"No, I'm not saying that. I'm sure Lisa-chan had good reasons for selecting you. You were a good candidate, Nanao-chan, and you became an excellent shinigami." His left hand stroked her face gently.

"Why did she recruit me, then?" she asked, voice wavering.

"I don't know her specific reasons." She made a sound of distress and he hurried on. "Nanao-chan, I've never required briefings on why a particular candidate was selected. You know that. I trust my Vice Captains to choose the right candidates for the Eighth Division. Lisa-chan selected you as a top candidate, and I'm sure she had excellent reasons for doing that."

"But you don't know." She shook her head. Each division only received a few slots for the top candidate selection process at the Academy each year. The divisions would select from all of the Academy graduates the students they wanted most for their division, and offer those recruits admission to the division early, with the possibility of a seated officer position. Other graduates at the Academy who weren't chosen as top selections submitted applications to the divisions after that. "My instructors were surprised I was chosen as a top selection. They had helped me prepare recruiting forms to submit to the Kidō Corps and the First Division already. No one thought that I would be chosen by a division as a candidate for a seat."

"Nanao-chan, it doesn't change anything. By whatever path you came to the Eighth, you were a perfect fit. You belong there, and you belong with me. It's fate, Nanao-chan." His thumb smoothed her cheek in soothing motions.

"Or it's a joke." Her voice was fragile when she spoke. "It's always been a point of pride for me that I was chosen for the Eighth. I thought I was special, that I had something that made me worth taking over other candidates who were older and stronger. But I didn't, did I? Yadōmaru-sempai got annoyed with you and picked me to stop your bad jokes."

"It doesn't matter why you came to the Eighth. What matters is that you did come, and that you belong here. I can't imagine you in the Kidō Corps or the First Division or anywhere but as Vice Captain of the Eighth Division. I'm so glad that Lisa-chan chose you. If you're worried about why, ask her, but it doesn't make any difference to me what her answer might be. You coming to the Eighth, to me, it was fate."

"I don't believe in that. It's a pretty thing to say, and I appreciate that you're saying it, but it's not what happened. She had concrete reasons, and one of them could have been as a joke. I will ask her, but—" she stopped, her throat unwilling to move.

"Nanao-chan, don't cry. It'll be all right. If you want to talk to Lisa-chan now, I'll get her and bring her back to you." He pulled her into an embrace, stroking her back.

"No," she said immediately. He didn't fully understand what he'd done. Her identity was built around the Eighth Division, around the events that had formed her path in life, and one of the core events was her selection as a top candidate by Lisa. The possibility that wasn't true—that she hadn't really been a top candidate, but had been some kind of joke—was devastating to consider. If Lisa confirmed Nanao's selection as a joke, it would be too painful now. Lisa wouldn't lie out of consideration for Nanao's feelings and Nanao wasn't sure she could handle the truth at this moment.

"Nanao-chan?" He was surprised, and she didn't blame him. She'd wanted the truth about the culprit behind the newspaper article so much, and now she didn't want the truth about her history, something that could be easily discovered and confirmed.

"I have to think about it. Please don't tell her what to say to me. I want to discuss this with her myself, privately."

"I won't interfere, Nanao-chan. You have the right to the truth. I'm sure Lisa-chan has good reasons for selecting you, and she'll tell you those when you ask. But it doesn't change anything, no matter what the reasons were. You belong with the Eighth Division."

"Shunsui." She let herself lean into him for a few seconds. He was warm and strong and full of concern for her. She pulled away. "I want to be alone for a while. I think it might be best to suspend the marriage practice for now."

A flash of hurt ran through his eyes, hidden quickly. "Nanao-chan, if there's anything you need from me—"

"No, there's nothing I need. Thank you for offering," she said, though it was a lie. His comfort was something she needed, but it seemed foolish to seek comfort from the one who'd caused her pain, however indirectly and accidently.

That hurt him, too, and it didn't disappear as quickly from his eyes. "If you do decide that you need anything, please ask me. I'll be here, Nanao-chan."

She stood, straightening her uniform, picking up her forgotten book from the bench. "Thank you."

"Nanao-chan."

She turned away from him. "Good night." She flash-stepped away as quickly as she could, barely making it to her quarters and closing the door before tears finally escaped her eyes.

* * *

Nanao stared at the ceiling in her quarters. She felt raw, as if all of her nerves were exposed to the air. To her irritation she'd cried earlier. She rarely succumbed to her emotions like that, but she couldn't get past the idea that her selection into the Eighth Division had not been a moment of Lisa seeing some merit or specialness in Nanao and choosing her as a top candidate, but rather an exasperated response to Shunsui's jokes about girls.

It'd been such an important moment in her life, and it had led her to the Eighth Division, which was now her home.

_More than one hundred years ago_

"What's your name?" The woman had a hard voice and hard eyes behind her glasses.

"My name is Nanao Ise, Vice Captain." Nanao pushed her glasses up, nervous. The Vice Captain of the Eighth Division wanted to see the ten graduating Academy students with the highest marks in kidō, which included Nanao. She was not in the top five, and it seemed very unlikely she'd actually be selected, but accommodating the top candidate selection was a priority for the Academy, and so Nanao was still presented to this woman.

"I am Vice Captain Yadōmaru. How have you found your Academy courses?" She leaned forward behind the table, her brush poised to take notes.

"Some of the material is challenging and some of it is very easy." Nanao swallowed. "My sword work isn't very good. Neither is my hand-to-hand combat."

Vice Captain Yadōmaru raised an eyebrow. "You admit to your shortcomings quite easily. What about your successes?"

"My kidō is pretty good, but I'm not the best. My instructor says that I'm too young to fully develop my skills yet. I'm good at research, and at written assignments." Nanao winced. It wasn't much of a list, not compared to what the others the Vice Captain would be meeting could say about themselves.

"I was surprised that you were able to rank this highly in kidō at your age. Do you work hard, Nanao Ise?" Her eyes were narrowed and intense on Nanao's face.

"I work as hard as I can, Vice Captain. I always do my best." Nanao clutched her kidō textbook close to her chest.

"I'm curious. When you use kidō, do you feel the power building as you recite the words, or do you feel the kidō's power rising before you say the words?" Vice Captain Yadōmaru asked.

Nanao tilted her head. "I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"Are the words necessary to create your kidō, or do the words only unlock a final chain holding back your kidō?"

Nanao's brows drew together. "For kidō that's destructive, especially fire-based hadō ones, I can feel the power burning in my hands before I say the words. Reciting the words is just to unlock it. Binding kidō is harder for me. The power doesn't rise naturally. I have to build it with the words." Nanao wasn't sure if that was a good answer or not.

"I see. That's interesting." She wrote something on her paper. "What are you looking for in a division?"

The Vice Captain was interviewing her as if Nanao was really a candidate she would consider. Nanao had expected her to take one look at her and then dismiss her for the next candidate. "I don't know what makes a division good or not. My instructors have told me to apply to the Kidō Corps and the First Division."

"But what do you want in a division?"

Nanao hesitated. "I suppose I want a place that I can work hard and people will take me seriously. I want to do interesting work, and I want it to matter. That's probably not possible, given my age and skills." She dropped her eyes.

"Those are good goals, and while they might not be completely fulfilled right away or all of the time, you can certainly achieve those things at least some percentage of the time in the Eighth Division. At the very least, I can tell you that I would take your work quite seriously." Vice Captain Yadōmaru wrote a few notes on her page.

"What kind of work does the Eighth Division do?" Nanao asked.

"We protect people from Hollows, of course. We maintain some historical records and artifacts of import, but there are a few divisions that have similar tasks. The primary asset of our division is our Captain, as it is for every division. Captains are the strength of Soul Society, and one of our most important duties is to support our Captain." She studied Nanao impassively.

"The Captain of the Eighth Division is Captain Kyōraku. Is he a good Captain?" Nanao wasn't sure if her questions were the kind she should ask, but since she wasn't a serious candidate anyway, she might as well ask what she wanted to know.

"He is a Captain worth serving. He's a flawed man, but it's not necessary to like him personally, only to do your best for him and for the division. Could you do that, Nanao Ise?" Vice Captain Yadōmaru waited for her answer, her brush poised above the paper.

"Yes, Vice Captain. I would do my best for him. I would do my best for you, too, Vice Captain."

"Would you?" she asked, smiling faintly.

Nanao nodded again. "Yes, Vice Captain."

"Thank you for your answers. That will be sufficient. Please send in the next candidate on your way out." The woman nodded to Nanao and then began to write notes.

"Thank you for seeing me, Vice Captain. And—thank you for really interviewing me." Vice Captain Yadōmaru didn't have to take her seriously, but she had, and Nanao appreciated that. Nanao bowed her head and left the room, but she caught the surprise on the Vice Captain's face out of the corner of her eye.

Nanao returned to her classes, assuming she wouldn't be needed for any further selection interviews. She'd been shocked when she received the letter of invitation from the Eighth Division. She accepted the offer immediately and joined the Eighth Division. Vice Captain Yadōmaru must have seen something in Nanao that made her decide Nanao was a top candidate.

* * *

Nanao had believed that, and taken pride in that, for many years. It was a large piece of the foundation that her life in the Eighth Division was built on. If it wasn't true—if she'd been chosen as a joke or out of spite—she didn't know how she would respond. The idea that she belonged in the Eighth, that she was specially chosen for it, was important to her. Perhaps it was more important than it should be.

She sat up, resting her head against her knees. She'd never be able to sleep tonight. Lisa could tell her what the truth was, but Nanao needed to be certain that the truth wouldn't hurt her too much if it was negative. If she could feel strong and secure enough in her identity before she spoke to Lisa, then it would be all right if Lisa damaged the core of Nanao's history.

But it was hard to see how to get to that position from here. The stress of the match meetings and the marriage practice weighed her down, making everything harder.

Shunsui could help her.

She pushed the thought away. He could help her by reassuring her of her place in the Eighth and in the world, but she'd broken off the marriage practice, panicked by the thought of breaking down in front of him and wanting space to think.

And even if he told her again that she belonged in the Eighth, that she belonged with him, would that be enough?

She could find out. It would be better than sitting awake all night, worrying. He'd said to come to him for anything. Maybe it was worth finding out what he would say to her, what it would mean to her.

She pulled a haori over her sleeping robe, putting her glasses on and slipping her sandals on her bare feet as she left her quarters. She flashed to his house quickly, but walked quietly on his porch to his bedroom, hesitating. It was the middle of the night. Was it really all right to wake him?

"Nanao-chan?" he called from inside the room. He must have felt her reiatsu at the door.

She removed her sandals and went inside. "I'm sorry for disturbing you. I shouldn't have come at this hour." She hesitated again in the doorway.

"Come here, Nanao-chan." He opened the blankets, leaning his weight on one hand. He looked like he'd been sleeping, and that increased her urge to flee.

"I'm sorry to bother you so late."

He smiled, his teeth bright in the dim room. "Don't be sorry, I'm glad you came. I'm always happy to have you with me, no matter what time it might be. Come here, sweetheart."

She came closer, sliding onto the bed and sitting.

"Why don't you lie down? You'll be more comfortable." He lifted the blankets invitingly, and she slipped into them.

"It's not fair of me to come to you when I've suspended the marriage practice for tonight." She lay down on her side, facing him, her glasses still on her face.

"I don't care much about fair. I care a lot more about you," he said. "Why don't you take your glasses off, Nanao-chan?"

She didn't have a good reason to leave them on, and his coaxing voice and open expression were persuasive. She removed her glasses and set them beside the bed.

"Don't look so worried, Nanao-chan." His thumb stroked her cheek in soothing motions, the way he had earlier in the garden.

"I should really go." She wanted to rest on him, letting him warm and reassure her, but it wasn't fair to him when she wasn't sure of when she'd want to resume the marriage practice. If he'd asked her to marry him at the picnic, she would have been very close to accepting him, but after the newspaper article and the possibility of Nanao's recruitment being a joke, she had some distracting concerns.

He gripped her waist and tugged her close. "Don't go." His embrace was everything she'd wanted, comfort and closeness and the heat of his body radiating into her. "Talk to me, Nanao-chan."

She exhaled a shaky breath she didn't know she'd been holding. Her hands rested against his chest and she hid her face in the joint of his neck and shoulder. "I don't want to feel this way. It's a small thing, really, just a small piece of my history, but if Yadōmaru-sempai didn't recruit me because I was special, because she thought I belonged in the Eighth, I don't know how to deal with that. I don't want to be a joke."

"You're not a joke, no matter what happened or what Lisa-chan's reasons might have been. You do belong in the Eighth. Believe me, Nanao-chan." His voice reverberated with certainty.

"How do you know?" she asked, her voice small against his skin.

He laced his fingers through her hair, tipping her head back gently to let her see his eyes. "Because you _are_ the Eighth Division. You and I are the first people that anyone would think of when they think of the Eighth Division. Our names are synonymous with the Eighth Division."

"Your name is, but mine—has it really been long enough for that?"

"Yes," he said immediately. "It's been more than enough time, and you're very memorable, Nanao-chan."

"I don't know." She dropped her eyes.

"I do. People remember you for your elegant beauty, for your ruthless efficiency, for your devoted service to the Eighth. You are the Eighth Division, Nanao-chan." His voice dipped lower. "I think of you when I think of the Eighth. Lately, you're almost the only thing I can think about at all. You belong, Nanao-chan. You belong with the Eighth Division and you belong with me."

It helped to hear him say those things with the certainty and authority of his position as the Captain of the Eighth, and it sent a ribbon of heated awareness through her to hear the edge of possessiveness in his voice. "The Eighth is the home I've had the longest. It's the center of my life. It's the core of my identity. If that's broken—I don't know who I'd be."

"You'd be Nanao Ise, the best Vice Captain ever to grace the Eighth Division. You'd be my Nanao-chan. The Eighth would still be your home. It will always be your home." His eyes were tender and his voice strong and soft.

"Can you promise that? I don't think you can."

"I promise. If I am the Eighth Division, which you conceded already, then I can promise that the Eighth will always be your home." He kissed her forehead.

"You can't know that you'll always want me with the Eighth Division." There was more that she left unsaid, but it didn't matter, he heard it anyway.

"Given that I'm trying very hard to marry you, I think you're ignoring some important evidence about what I want. My feelings for you are not a fleeting fancy, Nanao-chan."

She winced. "Don't, please." She hadn't really weighed his—his emotion for her into her calculations about a possible marriage to him or one of the men in the file. She didn't trust in such emotion, even from Shunsui, a man she trusted absolutely in many other respects. Emotions could be whimsical, scattered things, unreliable and inconsiderate. She did not trust them and wouldn't rest a decision as important as a marriage solely on any declaration of emotion.

She trusted evidence. She trusted established behavior patterns. She trusted in the knowledge that people were flawed and fallible creatures.

But she did trust Shunsui.

It was a contradiction and a problem. "I need to make a rational decision. I need more data," she said, and thought that a cold and inadequate response.

His lips turned up. "How many points do you need on your list in my favor to believe me?"

"I don't know," she said truthfully.

"Then what will it take for you to choose me as your husband?" He didn't seem offended or surprised by her response to him bringing up emotions, which was a relief. He'd even gone to a more concrete set of questions.

She considered his question. "I would have to believe that you are the best choice of husband from my available options. I would have to believe that the Ise estate and my family would be restored by choosing you." She hesitated. "I would have to believe that I do belong in the Eighth Division, that it is my home and my future, no matter why I ended up there."

He nodded. "We'll get there. I am the best man for you, and your family will be restored by choosing me. The Eighth is your home and you belong there. You belong here, beside me. This is fate, Nanao-chan."

"You believe that?" She wanted to believe it too, desperately, achingly, but she couldn't.

"Yes." He kissed her with all the firm conviction of his voice.

She allowed the kiss, even welcomed it. She'd already been close to believing the first two things she'd asked for, and while the newspaper article was a setback, she was still close to accepting him as the best man to be her husband. The question about Nanao's place in the Eighth and in the world was harder, but she could be persuaded. As he lavished her lips with gentle attention, she found him very persuasive.

He broke the kiss too soon and she made a protesting noise. He kissed the corner of her mouth softly. "It's late, Nanao-chan. Have you slept at all?"

"No. I'll go back to my quarters, so that you can sleep." She pulled back from him, but he stopped her easily with his words.

"Please stay. Sleep here. I want you with me, Nanao-chan."

It was tempting and she didn't want to leave. His embrace was warm and he smelled like pine trees and clean soap and home. She could stay with him tonight. There were only a few days before she would need to make a decision about pursuing marriage with him; she shouldn't waste that time. But she wanted to stay because she wanted to be near him, not because it was the reasonable path to sensible decisions. "This doesn't mean that everything is settled between us," she said carefully.

"I know. We don't have to talk about that now. Let's just be together like this tonight, Nanao-chan."

She nodded. His eyes gleamed in the moonlight, his lips wet from their kiss. She'd hurt him earlier, but he still wanted her with him. She felt tenderness rise in her chest. Her fingertips traced the line of his cheek and jaw softly. "I'll stay." She rolled to her side, away from him.

"I'm glad, Nanao-chan." He kissed her hair and lifted his hands away from her.

"Yesterday I said that you could be close to me tonight, if you wanted to be." She tensed until she felt his hand rest on the curve of her waist and his chest against her back. "Good night, Shunsui."

"Good night, Nanao-chan."

* * *

**A/N:** I'm going to post a Shunsui/Nanao one-shot for Valentine's Day next week. I haven't done a Valentine's Day story before, but it always seemed like fun. _Practicing Marriage_ should be updated next week after the Valentine's story, probably on Friday, but it might slip to Saturday. ^_^;


	13. Chapter 13

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515.

**A/N: **Kensei and Mashiro appear in this chapter. In _The_ _Death Save the Strawberry _novel by Matsubara Makoto & Kubo Tite, released in Japan earlier this year, it's explained that Mashiro returned to Seireitei with Kensei, but since the Vice Captain position at the Ninth was already filled, she became a reporter for the _Seireitei Bulletin_.

I've decided to have Yamamoto appear in this story, even though I've set the spoilers past the point of his death; since the setting already has Nanao and Shunsui in the Eighth Division, I thought it would be nice to write Yamamoto, perhaps for the last time.

Thanks for your understanding on the small delay on this update while I was working on my Valentine's Day story, _Honeybees and Chocolate_, now posted. Thank you for your comments, and thanks, as always, for reading! ^_^

* * *

Nanao woke up with the baby birds after only a few hours of sleep. She burrowed deeper into the blankets, hiding her face against Shunsui's chest. His arm tightened around her. She drifted back into sleep, waking again only when the sun had climbed higher in the sky and the hour was vibrant with morning sounds.

She opened her eyes, confused by the unfamiliar view. Shunsui's house, she remembered, and feeling the deep breathing of the man beneath her, she realized she'd snuggled herself up close to him in the night. Her brows drew together. He was right; she apparently had a secret proclivity for cuddling.

She extracted herself slowly from the bed, trying not to wake him. Silently she moved to the doors of his bedroom, intending to return to her quarters to prepare for the day. She was embarrassed about her behavior yesterday and it might be awkward to use his bath and eat breakfast with him.

"Nanao-chan?" His voice came from the bed, sleepy and warm.

She glanced back, and saw his head still on the pillow, his eyes open and his hair mussed. He looked messy but it appealed to her. "I'm going now, I'll see you later." She waved and moved quickly into flash step, before he could ask her to come back to bed or kiss him or anything like that.

Perhaps she shouldn't have stayed last night, but it had helped—she felt better than she had when she was alone in her quarters, agonizing over the events that led her to the Eighth. She'd go to her quarters, clean up and get ready for the day, and then finish the work she'd left undone yesterday. Nothing would settle her like the normalcy of routine.

At her desk in the Eighth some time later, she inhaled the aroma of her tea. It was perfect—not too strong and not too weak—just the right balance. The paperwork from yesterday and this morning she sorted quickly, finishing the items that only needed a Vice Captain's approval and moving the ones that needed Shunsui's approval to his desk.

She'd was writing her column for the _Seireitei Bulletin _when Shunsui came in. "Good morning, lovely Nanao-chan," he said with a grin, coming to sit at the edge of her desk, just as he normally did.

"Good morning, Shunsui." She used his name, which obviously pleased him.

"Did you sleep well?" His eyes were open and affectionate; if he was distressed that she hadn't stayed this morning, it didn't show.

"Yes, thank you. Although the baby birds did wake me up—how much longer will they be in the nest, do you think?" she asked.

"They probably won't stay more than a month now. Then we'll have quiet in the mornings, Nanao-chan." He reached out to brush her hair back from her face.

She allowed his touch, allowed the implication that she'd be sharing his bed in a month to pass unchallenged. "They might all move into your garden and still be making noise in the morning."

He smiled. "True, but it wouldn't be as incessant and constant as the baby bird noises."

"There is that." She looked down at her page, straightening it relative to the edge of the desk. "I wanted to thank you for last night."

"Nanao-chan?"

"I know that I've been difficult at times, but you were really kind about Yadōmaru-sempai, and about me." She stared at her hands on the desk.

He tipped her chin up. "I wasn't being kind, Nanao-chan. What I told you was the truth."

She hesitated. "I've been drifting a little lately, just not centered in the way that I usually am, and that article—the question of my recruitment—it was hard for me. But I am the Vice Captain of the Eighth, and whatever happened back then, I've earned my place here. You're right about that." She met his eyes steadily.

He nodded, smiling. "You've earned your position. Nanao-chan telling me that I'm right—what a rare and glorious feeling." He fanned himself with one hand.

She grabbed his waving hand. "Stop that. You're right often, as you know, but your ego doesn't need to be stroked by me."

"But Nanao-chan, every part of me wants to be stroked by you, yearns to be stroked by you, needs to be stroked by you—" He leaned down to her, making kissy faces.

"You aren't convincing me to stroke anything." She turned away from him, laughing a little, pressing on his forehead with her palm to try and push him back as he loudly dropped wet kisses on her neck.

He slowed his kisses until they were soft and sent a tingle down her body. "I'm glad to hear you laugh. You haven't been doing it so often lately."

"I know. I'm sorry." She twisted in her chair to see his face.

"I understand, Nanao-chan. The matchmaking and the marriage practice are stressful things, and I know you've found some of it challenging. But you're not alone in this, sweetheart."

She touched his face. "If my recruitment was a joke—it will hurt, I can't deny that. But I've proven myself worthy of the Eighth, I do believe that."

He flicked her Vice Captain badge with his fingers. "That's the proof, Nanao-chan. You were a good candidate and you excelled."

"I'm going to give you a point," she said, her fingers absently brushing his beard.

"I'm always glad to have Nanao-chan's points, but why?"

She studied his warm eyes, his smiling mouth. "Sometimes you're very generous with me, more than I probably deserve. I was exceedingly unkind to you last night about the letter, but you were very comforting to me later. I'm sorry for my behavior."

He shook his head. "If my affections were conditional on Nanao-chan's best behavior, then they wouldn't be worth much. You were upset, and reacted to that. It's normal, Nanao-chan."

She looked away. Had she made her affections for him conditional on his best behavior? She hadn't always been fair to him, hadn't always been generous in the way that he could be. Nanao wasn't even sure that she was capable of being generous that way all of the time, but she could try to be more generous. She'd expected him to prove himself as a potential husband to her, but he hadn't really asked her for anything similar.

What if she'd been approaching their relationship, their potential marriage, in the wrong way? Points systems and data and logical reasons made sense to her, but most of the important moments in the marriage practice had been emotional ones for her.

"I want to be better to you." She met his eyes with some difficulty.

"Thank you, Nanao-chan. But don't worry so much, please. If you agonize over every mistake you make, you won't be happy."

She thought about his dark eyes when he came back from war, the heavy regrets he wore like a cloak at times. "What about you? Don't you agonize over your mistakes?" she asked softly.

He smiled, but it was empty of mirth. "Only the ones that can never be changed or redeemed."

What would it be like to have her mistakes fall on each other for centuries, taking up more and more of her memory? Nanao wasn't sure how she'd handle that. She reached up, cradling his face in her small hands.

He shifted from his standing position bent over the chair to one on his knees beside it. "Nanao-chan."

"You've never made a mistake like that with me. And you won't," she said, hearing the confidence ringing in her voice.

"Why are you so certain of that?" His voice was low and his eyes intense on hers.

"If it's between us, I would get to decide whether a mistake was irredeemable, wouldn't I?" She tried for a lighter tone. "Besides, if you ever tried to do something that bad, I would make sure you really thought about it first. I have several kidō books that usually make enough of an impression on you for you to reconsider your course of action appropriately."

He was silent for several seconds, and then laughed, warm and genuine. "You're the only one who can make smashing my face with a book sound like an act of love, Nanao-chan."

She made an indignant noise, but she was happy to see him smile. "That's—"

He cut her off with his lips pressed to hers in an impulsive kiss, which ended before she could respond. She was still catching her breath when he reached for her hand. "I was thinking that perhaps we could take the day for ourselves, Nanao-chan."

It was tempting, but she hesitated. "Have you seen your desk? There's a lot of work waiting for you. We've been taking too much time off lately, and we're scheduled to visit your family tomorrow."

There was a pause and she wondered if he would call off their trip tomorrow. She raised her eyes to his face. He looked thoughtful but not worried. "That's true, Nanao-chan. We are taking tomorrow off."

It was a relief that he was still willing to commit to their plans after last night. She nodded.

He glanced at his desk. "There is a lot of work there. We could do it this morning."

She raised an eyebrow. "_We_ could do it?"

He grinned. "I would love to have your assistance, Nanao-chan. Nothing focuses me on work like sitting with you on my lap."

"A dubious statement at best," she said, but her lips turned up.

"We could make so much progress, Nanao-chan."

He'd left the type of progress that they might make ambiguous, but she thought he might be right in several ways. "Let me finish this column first, I only have a little bit left to do."

He raised her hand to his lips to kiss her palm. "Of course. I'll get my desk ready." He moved away from her desk, releasing her hand with a last squeeze and walking over to his desk.

She resumed writing the last section of her column, pleased with the way the morning was going. The ink wasn't dry on the last character when there was a noise at the door. "Enter," Nanao called.

One of the Eleventh Seats slipped into the office. "Um, Vice Captain Ise? You have a visitor."

"What? A visitor?" How strange. None of her friends would bother one of the lower seats for an announcement when visiting, so it must be someone unexpected. Perhaps it was Kasumi. What if something had happened to her family or the estate? "Who is it?"

A man, well-dressed and young, stepped into the office. "I hope you'll forgive my unexpected intrusion, Ise-san."

Nanao narrowed her eyes, trying to place him. She'd seen him recently, she was sure of that. "Imaoka-san?" She'd had an uninspiring match meeting with him at the Ise estate before Shunsui had come.

"Yes. It's a pleasure to see you again, Ise-san. You're looking very well." He stepped further into the office.

Nanao looked at the Eleventh Seat, at Shunsui, at Imaoka, saw an impending disaster and decided to take action at once. "Thank you for bringing my guest here. Please prepare some tea for us." She nodded at the Eleventh Seat, who looked reluctant to leave but exited promptly. "Imaoka-san, this is Captain Shunsui Kyōraku of the Eighth Division."

"It's nice to meet you," Imaoka said.

"It's good to meet you, too," Shunsui said, studying Imaoka with interest. "What brings you to the Eighth Division, Imaoka-kun?"

"I was fortunate enough to meet Ise-san recently. I was very struck by our meeting." Imaoka gestured at Nanao.

"Nanao-chan is very striking, isn't she?" Shunsui asked, looking innocent.

"Oh, yes, she is. You are, Ise-san." Imaoka turned to her with an odd half-wave.

"Thank you," she said awkwardly. "Would you like to sit down, Imaoka-san?" Nanao stepped out from behind her desk and gestured to the seating area, welcoming him to sit.

"Thank you, Ise-san." Imaoka sat on the sofa.

"Did you have a good trip in, Imaoka-kun?" Shunsui asked, leaving his desk to lean against a chair in the seating area.

"It was longer than I expected." Imaoka kept turning to see Nanao after looking politely at Shunsui while he spoke.

"Not surprising. Distance is the reason that so many nobles in the Gotei 13 maintain residences in the heart of Seireitei—for a shorter commute. Living at a far-away estate and traveling daily for work here is impractical at best." Shunsui was the picture of friendliness, and Nanao eyed him suspiciously.

"It's hard for me to imagine anyone choosing life in a military organization like this over life at an estate. I intend no offense, Captain Kyōraku," Imaoka added hastily.

"Of course. Most nobles feel the same as you do, I imagine." Shunsui glanced at Nanao and she remembered their conversation outside of Urahara's, about how the two of them were unlike most nobles. He was right about that, if Imaoka was anything to go by.

"Most of the Gotei 13 membership is drawn from the Rukongai," Nanao said, pushing her glasses up.

"Nanao-chan is right, of course, although there are many members of the nobility who choose to spend part or all of their lives in service here." Shunsui smiled blandly. "Would you like to have a drink or go out for a meal, Imaoka-kun?"

"Actually, I would like to speak privately with you if I could, please, Ise-san." Iamoka stared at Nanao.

"I was going to visit the Ninth Division this morning anyway. Please use the office for your visit, Iamoka-kun." Shunsui rose and walked across the floor to Nanao. "I'll be back in an hour or so, Nanao-chan." He smiled benignly at Imaoka. His hand rested briefly on Nanao's shoulder, his fingertips brushing her neck slightly in a possessive gesture as he turned away towards the door.

Nanao frowned. She didn't want to be alone with Imaoka, but she was relieved that there would be no unpleasant scene. "Please take my column with you and turn it in to Hisagi-kun, if you don't mind."

"Certainly, Nanao-chan. Goodbye, Imaoka-kun. Enjoy your little visit." Shunsui smiled all the way out the door, and Nanao hoped she was the only one who detected the predatory edge in his eyes and smile.

She let out a small sigh of relief when Shunsui was gone.

"He's not what I expected," Imaoka said.

"Hmm? He is unique, yes." Nanao moved to the seating area and sat in the fat chair, avoiding the awkwardness of possibly sharing the sofa.

"Do you enjoy your work here?" He glanced around the office.

"Yes, very much so."

The Eleventh Seat returned with tea, breaking off the stilted conversation temporarily before leaving quickly.

"I'm glad I was able to see you again, Ise-san." Imaoka brushed his dark hair back from his high forehead. He was handsome, with patrician if soft features, but Nanao found most men too soft-looking after a lifetime among the soldiers of the Gotei 13.

"It is pleasant to see you again, Imaoka-san." It was more puzzling than pleasant to see him, but she would be polite.

He smiled. "I'm glad to hear you say that."

Nanao lifted her cup to her lips. "Is there anything specific that brings you here this morning, Imaoka-san? I was under the impression that you rarely left the province that your estate is located in."

"Yes, that's true. I apologize for coming here unexpectedly, but I felt it necessary when I didn't receive a request for a second meeting from the matchmaker." He leaned towards her, speaking earnestly.

Nanao blinked. "I haven't yet made any arrangements for second meetings with the matchmaker. I've been quite busy this week." This was getting more and more awkward.

"I understand. It must be very difficult to make arrangements around the constraints of your current situation."

Nanao frowned at him. "I enjoy my work, whatever constraints it may place on my time." She glanced down into her teacup. It seemed unfair to pretend that she had any interest in a second meeting with him. Perhaps if things had been different, she would have found out that Imaoka was someone she could have had a relationship with, could have even married. But she'd never seen any of the men at the match meetings in that light, even before Shunsui had come to the Ise estate.

Her feelings for Shunsui had evaporated her interest in other men, long before her great-aunt suggested an arranged marriage. Guilt rose in her throat when she looked up and saw Imaoka's clean, youthful features and earnest expression.

"Imaoka-san, I am sorry, but the truth is that there is another man that I am considering marriage to at this time. I will not be making arrangements for a second meeting with you. I apologize for not informing the matchmaker sooner, and I'm very sorry that you've come all this way to hear this," Nanao said.

"Another man? Ise-san, if I might be a bit forward, I would like you to consider this more carefully. I have a lot to offer to a wife, and I would be able relieve you of all of your worries."

Nanao shook her head. "Imaoka-san, I am certain that you do have a great deal to offer to a woman, and it is an honor that you would consider me for your wife, but I must decline. I am not able to give you the consideration you deserve. I'm sorry." She pressed her lips together. This was so uncomfortable.

He swallowed, his brows drawn together. "Ise-san, even though we only met once, in that meeting I found you elegant and subdued, truly a lady of noble origin. You asked good questions about my boar racing and seemed interested in me. I was very much hoping that we could have a second meeting."

"I'm sorry to have to disappoint you, Imaoka-san." Nanao didn't know what else to say.

Imaoka nodded, his face sinking into resignation. "After we met, I sought further information about you, Ise-san. Through certain sources, I was able to learn that you'd also had a match meeting with your Captain. He is the man you're considering, isn't he?"

It was strange to her that he'd felt strongly enough about their meeting to find out more about her. It had not been a particularly good meeting, from her perspective. "Yes, Captain Kyōraku is the man I'm considering. I am sorry. I should have contacted the matchmaker and let her know that I didn't want second meetings with anyone else." Nanao struggled not to fidget in her chair. "But surely there are many other women who would welcome the interest of a gentleman like you. I'm certain the matchmaker has no shortage of candidates for you to meet."

Imaoka shook his head. When he spoke his voice was low and full of concern. "I believe that Captain Kyōraku may be taking advantage of you. He is in a position of power over you. He's your superior officer and he's been involved in your life for much of your childhood and all of your adulthood. Can you really enter into a marriage with him of your own free will now?" Imaoka's earnestness was stronger than ever, but Nanao felt cold all over.

"Did you write an article for the _Seireitei Bulletin_ along those lines, Imaoka-san?" Nanao's voice was soft.

"What?" He tilted his head. "I didn't write it directly, but I did request that someone have the information I'd found organized and submitted to that paper. It was for your sake, Ise-san. I never intended any harm to you, but I wanted to expose that man to everyone, before it was too late. I want to save you from him, Ise-san." He touched her right hand on the arm of the fat chair.

Nanao pulled her hand away from his quickly. "I require no saving. Imaoka-san, I understand that you may have thought you were helping me, but that article was without foundation and very hurtful. Your intervention in my life is unwarranted and inappropriate. I am making my own decisions, and pursuing the path that I think is the right one. I think it's best if you leave now."

"Ise-san, please let me help you. What if you aren't thinking clearly?" Imaoka looked determined, as if he had embarked on a noble quest.

But he was very wrong. She stood, pride stiffening her back and her voice. "I am a Vice Captain of the Gotei 13. I will make my own decisions, and I will save myself if I need any saving. I don't believe we can have anything further to say to each other. Please leave, Imaoka-san."

"Ise-san, I can help you. Once you're away from his influence, I'm sure you'll understand why I've acted as I have." His patronizing words and the earnestness of his voice grated on her nerves.

"I understand your intentions fully right now, but you're wrong about Captain Kyōraku, and about me. Please leave." She went to the door, holding it open for him.

Imaoka rose, moving to the door. His expression was sorrowful. "I'm sorry that you won't let me help you. I would have been very good to you, Ise-san."

Nanao shook her head. "Goodbye, Imaoka-san."

He left with a last look over his shoulder at Nanao.

She closed the door firmly, standing still until she was sure he was gone. She returned to her desk and sank into the seat of the chair. What in the world had made that man imagine that he could rescue her, or that she needed saving at all? How baffling. Her hands rubbed her biceps; she felt chilled in the warm office.

She heard murmurs from outside her office and the hesitant steps of Third Seat Enjōji. "Vice Captain Ise? Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine. I have an SWA meeting very soon, so I will be leaving the office for a while. Please continue to work normally in my absence; the Captain will return soon, I'm sure." She stood and picked up a book, tucking the matchmaker's file into it.

"Yes, Vice Captain." Enjōji sounded relieved by the hard tone of her voice.

Nanao went to the porch doors and slipped out, stepping into shunpo.

* * *

Kensei leaned back in his chair in the Ninth Division Captain's office. "Someone sent this for the _Seireitei Bulletin_?"

"Yes, anonymously." Shunsui watched Kensei flip through the pages.

"Anonymously? Why would we even accept anonymous submissions? If you can't put your name on something, you shouldn't send it to a newspaper." Kensei scowled.

"That's too harsh, Kensei. Some people are shy," Mashiro said from her lounging position on the sofa.

"If they're too cowardly to use their names, they shouldn't write articles. Though I can see why no one wanted to sign this article. This isn't news, it's just gossip." Kensei dropped the pages on his desk with a scowl.

"People like to read gossip, Kensei. We print some social commentary and articles about events all the time." Mashiro leaned her head on her arms on the end of the sofa, looking at Kensei.

"We publish this crap?"

"If you don't like what Hisagi-kun is printing, you could take the _Seireitei Bulletin_ duties back." Mashiro tilted her head.

"Hell, no. I don't want to deal with that. I have real work to do," Kensei said.

"I've always found the _Seireitei Bulletin_ careful and appropriate in its choice of social commentary. The paper doesn't print gossip in the sense that you mean, Kensei-kun," Shunsui said.

"No, we don't, and we won't in the future. I'll make that clear to Hisagi." Kensei nodded for emphasis.

"Thank you, Kensei-kun." Shunsui smiled.

"Are you really going to marry your Vice Captain, though?" Kensei gave him a level look.

"Nanao-san said so at the SWA meeting. I overslept and missed it, but Hinamori-san told me later." Mashiro sat up, seemingly more interested in this topic.

"We are considering a marriage. I hope that we'll announce an engagement soon," Shunsui said carefully.

Kensei raised an eyebrow. "Well, you're both adults and it's not really anybody else's business. The regulations can be exempted. The _Seireitei Bulletin_ won't publish anything about it."

Mashiro sighed. "No, Kensei, you dummy. That's not how you keep something from getting a lot of ugly gossip." She turned to Shunsui. "When you get engaged, have a big party, and I'll write an article about the party and your engagement. If you act like it's a big secret or something that you 're ashamed of, it'll make things worse."

Shunsui could see the logic in that; it mirrored what he'd thought when Nanao told her friends at the SWA. "We'll have a party at the Eighth Division. Food, drinking, dancing."

"Then everybody can come and fulfill their curiosity on your terms. It'll be better for you and Nanao-san." Mashiro smiled.

"Yes. We'll do that, Thanks, Mashiro-chan," Shunsui said. It was a good way to present themselves as a couple to Seireitei, though he wasn't yet positive he'd be able to throw this party.

"Right, that's settled. We won't publish the anonymous crap, you'll have a big party that we'll all have to go to, and Mashiro will write one of her super scoop articles about it." Kensei clearly had other things he'd rather be focusing on.

"Thanks for taking care of this, Kensei-kun. I won't forget it." Shunsui tipped his hat at Kensei and Mashiro and headed out of the office.

As he walked away he heard Mashiro speaking. "I wanted to talk about the party some more. You're too mean today, Kensei. Why don't you come over here and relax with me?"

Shunsui moved away before he could hear Kensei's reply.

He turned towards the Eighth. He didn't want to leave Nanao alone with Imaoka for too long. What if that man made unwelcome advances towards her?

Then Nanao would blast him into very small pieces with a kidō. She didn't need to be rescued, no matter how romantic the idea sounded. Nanao could take care of herself, decidedly and with a certain elegant brutality that Shunsui found very attractive. His lips curved up.

But that didn't mean he couldn't take care of her sometimes. He'd start small, with massages, breakfast in bed, things like that. She'd enjoyed those things. Maybe she'd indulge him and let him do more for her when they were married.

If she agreed to marry him.

His phone chirped and he tugged it out of his sleeve. There was a message from Nanao: _At the Tenth Division, SWA committee meeting this afternoon. Would you like to meet for dinner?_

That would be a very long meeting, if there was a meeting. He suspected it had more to do with Imaoka's appearance than any pressing committee business. Still, she wanted to meet for dinner and she'd mentioned the visit to his mother tomorrow earlier in the office. Things couldn't have gone that badly. He sent her a message: _Come to my house when your meeting is over. I'll cook for sweet Nanao-chan. _

There was a wait of several minutes. He was in the office at the Eighth when she responded. _I'll come over at six. Please complete the work on your desk. It just needs your stamp._

She'd agreed to dinner. Sure, she'd tacked the bit about work on the end, but she was still Nanao, the best Vice Captain in Seireitei. She'd be a taskmaster about work even if she was wearing a school uniform or a bathing suit.

He daydreamed happily about both of those scenarios while he absently stamped pages. She'd ask if he'd done the work when she came for dinner, and he wanted to be able to tell her that yes, he had.

Shunsui liked the pleased light that came into her eyes when he told her _yes_, especially now that she was kissing him. He leaned back in his chair, drifting pleasantly on a fantasy of Nanao in a pink bikini.

A hell butterfly landed on his nose, interrupting his imagined beach date. _Captain Commander Yamamoto requests your presence immediately_, the message said in the polite tones of Vice Captain Sasakibe.

Shunsui rose, rolling his head on his neck. So Yama-jii had found out about the matchmaking already. It wasn't a big surprise, since Nanao had told the whole SWA. He stamped the last few pages of papers quickly before he left—the message might have said _immediately_, but Shunsui wanted Nanao's praise more than he feared Yama-jii's wrath at the moment.

"You're in charge for the afternoon, Enjōji-kun," he called in the hallway before flash stepping to the First Division.


	14. Chapter 14

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515, mild foul language.

Thanks for your reviews, and for reading!

* * *

At the First Division Sasakibe led Shunsui to a room overlooking the stately garden. Shunsui knew that Yama-jii liked to use this room in the afternoons, to drink tea in the sunlight. He was there, just as Shunsui expected, sitting on a cushion facing the garden. "That will be all. Thank you, Chōjirō," Yama-jii said, and Sasakibe left quickly. Yama-jii didn't turn away from the view when Shunsui approached. "Sit down, Shunsui."

Shunsui dropped to a cushion next to the tea tray with a pot and two cups on it, also facing the garden. He glanced at Yama-jii's profile, trying to measure the old man's mood. The gruffness of Yama-jii's speech didn't signify anything; he often sounded that way, whether he was giving praise or blame.

Shunsui poured hot tea into his cup, refilling Yama-jii's at his nod. "It's a beautiful day."

Yama-jii grunted. "It is." He sipped from his cup. "Do you know why you're here, Shunsui?"

He'd heard that question thousands of times over the years, in response to mischief large and small. Shunsui smiled. That question could make him feel like a boy with a frog in one hand and an excellent plan for hiding it in the mean watchman's bed in an instant. "I'm not sure," he hedged. It was always best to know exactly what he was accused of before admitting guilt.

Yama-jii sighed. "I have been told you are marrying your Vice Captain. But I know that can't be the case, because you wouldn't do something like that, against regulations, without checking with me first, would you?" He pinned Shunsui with a hard stare.

"You're absolutely right, Yama-jii, I would check with you before marrying anyone," Shunsui said. That blurred the lines of the truth a bit, but it was close enough. He would have talked to Yama-jii before he actually married Nanao. "But the Ise family has retained a matchmaker to arrange a marriage for Nanao-chan, and I am one of the potential matches. The negotiations between our families are still in the earliest stages."

"Both of your families are involved?" Nobility was an area Yama-jii did not like to tread, Shunsui knew. Interfering in noble affairs could have unexpected consequences with the Central 46.

"Yes. We'll visit my mother at the Kyōraku estate tomorrow." Shunsui saw the old man's lips press together. "I was going to talk to you soon, Yama-jii. I wanted to wait until I was sure that Nanao-chan would give you the same answer as I would if you asked her about our marriage."

"Would that girl even have a say if both of your families decided marriage was best?" Yama-jii asked. There was a layer of distaste in his voice that was for the practices of the nobility; Yama-jii must have seen some of the worst abuses of their power over the long years. As a man who'd built himself, the Gotei 13, and the Shinigami Academy from nothing, he retained a suspicion of those that shrouded their lives in a veil of superiority and glory that was inherited and not earned. The power structure of Soul Society might require his deference to the Central 46, but it did not mean that Yama-jii liked the nobles themselves.

"Yes, she would have a choice." Shunsui met his gaze firmly.

Yama-jii nodded once. "That's only because it's you, isn't it?" he asked, turning his gaze back to the garden. The members of the Gotei 13 were largely exempted from Yama-jii's distaste for nobility; their years of service in the military earned his respect. His closeness to Shunsui added that certainty that Shunsui heard in his question.

He sipped his tea. Shunsui wasn't sure what Nanao or her family might have done if he hadn't pushed his way into the arranged marriage plans, and he didn't care to contemplate the possibilities.

"Why are you marrying her now? She's been your Vice Captain for years," Yama-jii said, his eyes locking Shunsui down.

Shunsui resisted the urge to squirm, the way he would have as the boy with a frog. "There are a lot of good reasons—"

"Is she with child?" Yama-jii swept away Shunsui's evasion brusquely.

"No. Nanao-chan is not pregnant," Shunsui said. He almost felt heat rising towards his cheeks and fought it back manfully. He was far too old for that, but if there was anything more mortifying than discussing his sex life with Yama-jii, he'd never found it.

"Are you certain, Shunsui?" The tone of his voice was the same as the one he'd used when Shunsui told him he'd found the frog in the hallway and was just returning it to the pond where it belonged.

"Yare, yare. If Nanao-chan is pregnant, it would be near-miraculous." He hunted for a phrase that would make things clear to Yama-jii and that Nanao wouldn't skin him alive for saying to the old man if she ever found out. "Nanao-chan takes her personal relationships as seriously as her work, and she has the sensibilities of a woman from a more sheltered noble household, Yama-jii."

Yama-jii grunted in acknowledgment. He sipped from his tea.

Shunsui leaned back on his hands, relieved. Yama-jii had understood. At least things would get better from here.

"It would be easier if she was with child," Yama-jii said.

"What?" Shunsui sat up quickly. He wasn't sure if he'd heard that correctly.

"Something like this will have me called up in front of the Central 46. I'm going to have to explain why this proceeded against regulations and without requesting their approval. Some prattle about your noble obligations and your family will probably work, but it would have been easier to tell them that she's carrying your child." Yama-jii sighed.

"You're going to defend me to the Central 46? Thank you, Yama-jii." It meant a lot to him that Yama-jii would put himself into that unpleasant situation for Shunsui. He'd imagined he'd have to make his own defense to the Central 46 at some point, but it would be better coming from Yama-jii's position of greater authority.

Yama-jii shook his head. "It's nothing much. You've always been a headstrong brat. This isn't the first time I've had to make excuses for you."

Shunsui smiled. "Thanks, Yama-jii." He tipped back his hat. "But why would it be easier if Nanao-chan was pregnant? Wouldn't that compound the offense to the Central 46? Getting my subordinate pregnant violates a lot more regulations."

"If you were someone else, yes, it would make it worse. But any child you have is likely to be gifted with strong spiritual powers, especially if the mother also has spiritual powers of note. A child makes your marriage more important to maintaining the power of the Gotei 13 in the long run, enough to ignore any temporary disturbance in the Eighth Division's functionality."

"I see." It made sense. The Sixth Division's Captain had been a Kuchiki since the inception of the Gotei 13 in its modern form. A family line with strong spiritual powers could be a backbone of the Gotei 13. Nobles were marinated from birth in the customs and traditions of Seireitei and the Gotei 13 in a way that the Rukongai recruits that made up most of the troops could never be. The Central 46 had a vested interest in maintaining the status quo of Seireitei, and so they had a vested interest in maintaining and growing noble bloodlines.

Shunsui sipped his tea, studying Yama-jii's profile. The old man looked as hearty as ever, but he had lost one arm in the Winter War and never had it restored. It was pride of a kind Shunsui didn't accept. Shunsui would have had the arm restored as soon as possible, as the loss would weaken him in battle. Pride was useless without victory.

But Yama-jii had lived thousands of years. Losing one arm wasn't debilitating for a man of his experience and power. Shunsui would probably hear that same question and sit in this spot with Yama-jii hundreds of times more.

A bright scene flashed through Shunsui's mind, surprising him. He could see himself sitting on this cushion, holding a baby, showing his boy off to Yama-jii. The old man would grunt about how small and loud the baby was, but his eyes would gleam in the sun, full of pride and warmth. It was a more tempting vision than Shunsui would have expected.

He rubbed at his chest. "You can tell the Central 46 that Nanao-chan and I will try to have a child when we're married, Yama-jii."

"What? You want me to tell them that?" Yama-jii raised his eyebrows.

"You said that they'd find it persuasive. It'll make things easier for you if you tell them that." Shunsui looked out at the garden, letting his thoughts drift further into the vision of himself with a son. The small pond outside hadn't been here when Shunsui was a boy. It wouldn't have too many fish, but there should be some frogs, perhaps even a nice fat one for a young boy to catch.

"You want me to lie to the Central 46?" Yama-jii scowled.

"I didn't say that. But it isn't as if anyone is going to monitor my private activities with my wife. Pregnancy is rare, anyway. Even if you tell them that Nanao-chan and I will try to have a child, it doesn't mean we'd succeed immediately or at all." Good frog-catching technique was tricky. It might take a little boy a while to master, even if Shunsui taught him carefully. It'd taken Shunsui weeks to perfect the fine art of snatching frogs from a pond.

"And what if you actually had a child? Have you given this any thought at all?" Yama-jii asked, skepticism peppering his voice.

"I haven't thought about it much before. But it would be fine, Yama-jii." Shunsui could see the triumphant moment when that boy caught his first frog, could see him running up to this room, eager to show Yama-jii and Shunsui what he'd done.

"You don't know anything about raising children." Yama-jii frowned at him.

That boy and his frog would both be covered in mud, splashing everywhere. Shunsui could see the frog slipping out of his boy's hands, knocking over Yama-jii's tea and springing into the room to escape. Yama-jii would shout, Shunsui would laugh, and his boy would chase the frog into the room as Sasakibe rushed in to help. The noise and the chaos would be a glorious mess.

_I want to see that_, Shunsui thought, and smiled. It was a little strange and wonderful to imagine, foreign and familiar at once. "You're right, Yama-jii. I don't know much about raising children. But you do."

Yama-jii turned his head to Shunsui, his eyes widening. There was a silence of several seconds. Warm emotions chased each other through his eyes. "You're such a pain in the ass," he said finally. "And if you think I'll be easy on your kids, you're wrong. I'd teach them discipline and order, since you obviously won't."

Shunsui laughed. "Between you and Nanao-chan, I'm sure they'd be fine, Yama-jii."

Yama-jii snorted. "Maybe you should talk to the woman you intend to marry before you make any plans for children. She might have something to say about it."

"I will, eventually. First I need to get Nanao-chan to marry me, though." He rubbed his chin. "She likes to make lists. I can't imagine the number of lists she'd give me before she'd have a baby with me." Lists of things she'd want him to do before she'd consider a child, lists of things she wanted to get for their child, lists of places he must not take their child, lists of people who were acceptable caretakers, lists of work accommodations she'd need, perhaps even a master list of her lists so that he wouldn't drown in them.

He chuckled. Some people might find Nanao too demanding or precise, but he'd always understood her lists as one expression of her need to break down things that were too large or frightening for her into smaller, manageable pieces that she could handle. He understood her approach to marriage practice, with her list of points for him and her efforts to be sensible, in the same way.

"Do you want some fresh tea?" Shunsui asked. It was a beautiful afternoon, and he wasn't meeting Nanao until much later. He could spend a few hours here with Yama-jii, lazing in the sun.

Yama-jii nodded. "Have Chōjirō make it. The other officers that make the tea are always making it too weak."

Shunsui smiled as he picked up the tea tray, carrying it to the door. Yama-jii and Nanao had more in common than either of them probably realized, down to their pickiness about the division tea.

It was best not to say anything to either of them, though. He doubted they'd appreciate the comparison.

* * *

"That guy said things like that to you?" Rangiku asked.

Nanao nodded. "I was rather perturbed. We only met once, and it wasn't a particularly good meeting."

"Huh." Rangiku leaned her chin on her hand. "Actually, it makes a kind of sense, when I think about it."

"How so?" Nanao asked. The odd encounter with Imaoka didn't make much sense to her, even after an hour. The two of them were in Rangiku's quarters at the Tenth. Nanao had ended up here without guiding her feet in particular after she'd left the Eighth, mortified by her meeting with Imaoka.

"He's a young guy, and his family tells him he has to get married. He never really leaves his home province, and the most exciting thing in his life is boar racing. Which can be interesting, to be fair—"

Nanao waved her hand in a denying gesture.

"—but the boars aside, his life is ordinary and already set on a path it'll follow forever. But imagine he meets a woman during his matchmaking sessions that has a glamorous and exciting career as a Vice Captain in the Gotei 13."

"Glamorous and exciting? What is it that you think I do in my office, exactly?" Nanao narrowed her eyes.

"I'm saying what it looks like from the outside, Nanao. So this Imaoka guy meets you, a woman with a more exciting life than he'll ever have, and he's interested, because you're attractive and mysterious. He investigates a bit and finds out about Captain Kyōraku, and he constructs a scenario that lets him play the hero, something he'd never get to do in his ordinary life," Rangiku said.

"Playing the hero," Nanao murmured, thinking.

"Yes. He thought this was his chance to swoop in and save an exciting woman from a terrible fate. It's not so rare for a young man to want to rescue a woman." Rangiku shrugged.

"But I don't require any rescuing." Nanao frowned.

Rangiku chuckled. "You say that like it matters. If a man decides to rescue a woman, how often does he really take her wishes into consideration?"

"It's unacceptable," Nanao said, adjusting her glasses.

"People don't ask the opinions of the ones they care about nearly often enough. If you would go to great lengths for someone, you should be willing to stay near them instead if that's what they want." Rangiku glanced down, her eyes shadowed. She wasn't talking about Imaoka anymore, Nanao knew.

"You're right, Rangiku-san." Nanao didn't know what else to say to her. Rangiku hadn't mentioned Gin directly, and Nanao didn't want to bring him up if her friend didn't want to talk about him.

Rangiku shook her head, pasting a smile on. "Anyway, don't worry about that guy. I'm sure his illusions were crushed by the reality of actually trying to rescue you."

"I really hope so," Nanao said. She hadn't considered how awkward things might be if Imaoka was undeterred. But she'd been very clear with him, and there was no room for ambiguity in what she'd told him.

"Besides that, how are things going with the arranged marriage? Are you and Captain Kyōraku getting close?" Rangiku wagged her eyebrows suggestively.

"I was upset with him about the article. I'm so embarrassed now, since I all but accused one of his old lovers of writing it, when it was actually Imaoka-san." Nanao rubbed her temples. "And I'm meeting his mother tomorrow at the Kyōraku estate—"

"Meeting his mother?" Rangiku interrupted. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Because of Imaoka-san. But yes, I'm meeting her tomorrow morning."

"Nanao, this is important! What are you going to wear? Do you know what you want to tell her? What kind of woman is she?" Rangiku held up her hand before Nanao could answer, whipping out her phone. "Wait, I'm going to get the girls together. We need more people for this."

"I suppose it might be nice to talk with our friends. But we all have work this afternoon."

"Don't worry about that. We'll call it an SWA meeting, and no one will question it." Rangiku grinned, already sending messages with her phone.

Twenty minutes later Nanao and Rangiku had moved to a conference room in the Tenth. Nemu arrived shortly after them, and then Hinamori hurried in.

"Sorry I'm late. I came as soon as I could. Which committee is this?" Hinamori asked, sliding into a seat at the table.

"It's the committee on Nanao's marriage." Rangiku banged the gavel. "This meeting is brought to order."

"Oh, what a great committee! I'm excited to be here." Hinamori smiled at Nanao.

"Calling it a committee is a bit much," Nanao protested.

"Nonsense. I knew as soon as I saw you this morning that a committee was exactly what we needed." Rangiku turned to Nemu. "You might find this to be interesting material for your research on emotions."

"Yes, Rangiku-san. Thank you for including me in your committee." Nemu entered notes into her tablet computer.

"The Twelfth Division can sometimes provide useful solutions and ideas, so we're lucky to have you on the committee," Rangiku said.

Nanao felt slightly guilty to have called her friends away from work. At least Rangiku hadn't summoned the whole SWA. It was the middle of the day and she didn't want her friends to get in trouble, so calling it a meeting was a decent workaround.

"What happened? You look upset, Nanao-san," Hinamori said.

"One of the men from the match meetings came to the office this morning." Nanao sipped her tea.

"Really? That seems odd. I didn't think it worked like that." Hinamori leaned over the table top, interested.

"My research suggests that it is an unusual deviation from the match making process." Nemu glanced up from her tablet.

"You're right, it was all very strange." Nanao told them about Imaoka's visit. When she finished the story she glanced at her friends' faces to gauge their reactions.

Hinamori's eyes were wide and held a sort of disturbed fascination, her hand covering her mouth.

Rangiku's eyebrows were raised and she took a drink of tea before speaking. "So he's a jackass." Apparently the retelling didn't improve Imaoka in her eyes.

"I don't know, Rangiku-san, he was misguided, but I don't think he actually meant any harm," Hinamori said.

"Does that even matter?" Rangiku asked. "What matters most is what he actually did, not only what he intended."

Hinamori nodded. "I suppose you're right, Rangiku-san."

"I really tried to keep things civil, but it was challenging. Kasumi-bāchan and the matchmaker may be disappointed, though." Nanao sighed.

"I doubt it. He really deviated from the process, which the matchmaker won't appreciate, and he was somewhat insulting to you, so your great-aunt shouldn't be happy about that, either," Rangiku said.

"It's strange, because I read books with the kind of sentiments that he expressed in them, and they seem really romantic when I read them. But the way he said them to you was not romantic at all." Hinamori's brows drew together.

"What is it that makes such sentiments unromantic?" Nemu asked.

"That guy Imaoka ignored Nanao's wishes and feelings. There's nothing romantic about that," Rangiku said.

"I've read some of the same books, Hinamori-san, and I thought the sentiments exaggerated in print, but Imaoka-san really seemed to believe in what he was saying. It was mortifying." Nanao pressed her lips together.

"Some people just get wrapped up in a fantasy and can't face the actual reality of something. That guy wanted to rescue you, and he didn't care if you actually needed rescuing or not." Rangiku shrugged.

Nanao pulled Imaoka's profile out of the matchmaker's file. "He is no longer in consideration for another meeting."

Rangiku snorted. "Obviously. You may want to tell the matchmaker what he did, in case she would like to stop working with him. If he's going to investigate her clients and show up at their places of work, it'll damage her reputation as a matchmaker."

"Yes, it might be good to let her know that he behaved improperly." Nanao studied the earnest young face of Imaoka and then tore the profile neatly in half.

"There's an expectation when a matchmaker is involved that the people she introduces you to will be good possible matches. You should definitely tell her, Nanao-san." Hinamori picked up the torn pieces of Imaoka's profile and burned them to ash in the palm of her hands with a surgically precise fire kidō.

Rangiku pushed the empty cookie plate under Hinamori's hands for the ashes. "That's good, Hinamori."

Nanao stared at the ashes. "I thought Captain Kyōraku was trying to rescue me when he showed up for a match meeting, because he has romantic inclinations. But he would never do what Imaoka-san did. He would never ignore what I want in favor of what he wants."

"Then Captain Kyōraku is the good kind of romantic, isn't he?" Hinamori asked.

Nanao swallowed. "Yes, he's the good kind."

"What is the distinguishing feature of the good kind of romantic?" Nemu's brows drew together very slightly.

"Well, there's a lot of different ways to be a romantic, but the main thing is that you can't overrule another person's wishes and choices," Rangiku said.

"So romance is intended as a form of persuasion?" Nemu tilted her head.

"I would say that is accurate, Nemu-san," Nanao said.

"Captain Kyōraku is obviously at the top of Nanao's list." Rangiku closed the matchmaker's file decisively. "And that's what this meeting is actually about. Nanao is going to the Kyōraku estate to meet Captain Kyōraku's mother tomorrow."

"Yes, I am." Nanao could hear the worry in her own voice.

"Oh, that's a big deal," Hinamori said, perking up.

"His mother regularly invites the women he's brought home to spar with her in her dojo." Nanao's fingers fidgeted against the tabletop.

"Seriously?" Rangiku asked. "This is a more critical meeting than I thought, in that case. We're going to need fortification. Let's go to the noodle house and have lunch. We can work on this while we eat and then go to Nanao's quarters to pick out an outfit for tomorrow." Rangiku rose, leading the way to the door.

"We'll work hard, so Nanao-san's meeting is a big success!" Hinamori said, clasping her hands together as she stood.

"I'll pull up some research on meeting with potential relations by marriage, and hand-to-hand combat." Nemu pushed some buttons on her computer, walking to the door without looking up.

"Everyone—" Nanao started. She looked at their faces, bright with affection and determination to help her, whether she needed the assistance or not, and felt very warm inside. "Thank you." She moved to the door with them.

It didn't matter whether they could actually make her meeting with Shunsui's mother go smoothly or not—what mattered was that they cared enough to try. She smiled and walked out into the afternoon light with her friends.

* * *

Nanao arrived at Shunsui's house a little early. She hesitated at the door, uncertain whether she should just go in or not; she'd expected Shunsui to be waiting for her.

She felt for his spiritual power and found him in his garden. He hadn't come to the door because he wasn't in the house. She walked around the wrap-around porch to the back of the house, where most of his gardens were.

He appeared on a garden path, his face registering pleasure. "Nanao-chan! You're early, but it's perfect, because I've just finished the dinner arrangements."

She stepped off the porch, glad that she'd taken the time to wash and change into a yukata with butterflies fluttering down the fabric. "Are we eating in the garden?"

He grinned. "Will you let me surprise you?" He held out his hands.

"Yes," she said, certain that his surprise would be more pleasant that Imaoka's surprise had been. She extended her hands, brushing his fingers, and he clasped her hands gently in his large ones.

"Walk with me, but only look at me, please." He started walking backwards on along the path.

"It is a lovely evening for dinner outside." The air was warm and the night would be well-lit by the moon.

"It is. You look beautiful, Nanao-chan. If you wanted to impress me, you've succeeded." His eyes were teasing and affectionate.

Her lips curved up. "You're rather easily impressed."

He stopped moving. "Close your eyes for a minute, sweetheart."

She raised an eyebrow but closed her eyes. He shifted beside her, one of his hands coming around her shoulders, his other still holding one of her hands.

He walked them around a bend in the path. "Open your eyes."

It was worthy of being called a surprise. Dinner in the garden didn't begin to describe it. He'd transformed an open spot in his garden that she'd seen many times into something beautiful and new. Fabric draped the branches of the trees, the panels creating the feeling of an outdoor room. Lanterns hung from the trees and candles shaped like flowers floated in the fountain designed to look like an organic part of the garden. Nanao hadn't even known floating candles could be found in Seireitei, but of course Shunsui knew and had some.

A low table sat in the center of the clearing, laden with covered dishes and candles. Fat cushions and pillows circled the table, which sat on a plush carpet. Pots of overflowing flowers anchored each corner. The effect was extravagant, beautiful, and romantic. It was not the patronizing and deluded romance of Imaoka, which had repulsed her. This was romance that asked, persuaded, indulged, romance which drew her in.

This was Shunsui. "You must have spent hours on this," she murmured, her eyes surveying everything.

"I finished all my work first. I want to impress you, Nanao-chan." He smiled.

She turned to him. His face was shadowed by the fading day and the candles, his mouth smiling, his eyes dark and glittering. There were things she should tell him, unpleasant events to recount, plans to make, but she didn't want to do that now, in this beautiful garden.

Instead she grasped the back of his neck with her hand, tugging him down enough to kiss him. She pressed her lips against his with the force of all the unnamed feelings heating her blood and heart. It was a fierce kiss, greedy and hot, and he dived into it with matching fervor.

His arms wrapped around her, raising her up higher and closer to him. Her fingers dug into his hair, her lips tingling when the kiss broke. "I need to apologize to you," she said, breathless.

"I'll accept any apology that you give me like that, Nanao-chan." He smiled.

She bit at his lips, nibbling at him until he kissed her. "You can't accept an apology until you know what it's for," she murmured.

"Tell me, and then I'll accept it." He feathered kisses along her jaw, her ear, the curve of her neck.

She tilted her head to give him better access to her skin. She should tell him about Imaoka and the article, but she was reluctant. The ugliness of what she needed to say didn't belong in this moment, in this garden, in the air between them. It could wait until after dinner, at least.

"I'd rather not spoil our dinner. Can we talk about my apology afterward?"

He came back up to her lips, just brushing a light kiss on them. "Of course, Nanao-chan. I want you to enjoy yourself tonight."

"Thank you."

He led her to the table, helping her sink down on a cushion with a smile. "Here, Nanao-chan." He poured her a drink and then revealed the dinner dishes by removing the lids with a flourish.

They ate and drank and talked, about work, books, and nothing in particular. She relaxed into the cushions, drinking a sweet wine and eating chocolates. Either Shunsui had a secret love of chocolate or he really believed it was a romantic food—he had it in some form nearly every time they'd eaten together during the marriage practice. Or maybe he knew that Nanao liked it and brought it for that reason. He was observant of small details.

"Our plans for tomorrow still stand?" she asked, watching him eat chocolates.

"Yes, unless you want to change them. We'll leave in the morning and return in the evening. You'll be deeply impressed by my family and decide to marry me right away." He grinned.

She laughed. "I thought I was supposed to do the impressing tomorrow. I had an entire SWA committee meeting about that today."

"Did you? How intriguing. What was the advice on impressing my mother?"

She assumed a serious expression. "Well, it was a bit jumbled and contradictory. Nemu-san had statistics on what mothers like in potential spouses for their children; Rangiku-san thought that I should be nice and if your mother doesn't like me, it's not my fault and I shouldn't worry about it; Hinamori-san thought I should be myself and of course your mother would like me. I should be charming but not flip, sincere but not cloying, warm but not overly familiar, affectionate towards you but not inappropriate, and attractive but not too plastic."

"Is that all?" he asked.

She laughed again. "I've reached a conclusion about meetings longer than two hours. No matter the topic, a meeting that runs longer than two hours is counterproductive."

He moved around the table to sit down beside her. "I agree with Hinamori-chan. Be yourself, Nanao-chan."

She smiled. "If it were that simple, the meeting wouldn't have been so long."

"Which committee of the SWA covers meetings with my mother, I wonder?" He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"The committee on my marriage." She shook her head. "That's not the official committee title that will appear in Rangiku-san's note to Captain Hitsugaya, but that's the committee."

"If you had a committee meeting about meeting my mother and our plans to go tomorrow are unchanged, does that mean that you're still considering me for your husband?" he asked softly.

She looked down at her lap. "I never stopped considering you. The issue with Yadōmaru-sempai regarding my recruitment to the Eighth Division is my own personal problem. I need to resolve that, but I don't want it to impact the relationship between you and me. I can't promise that it won't though."

He took her hand. "Nanao-chan, no matter the problem, it's not something you have to deal with alone. If it affects our relationship, we'll work through it. But nothing about your recruitment will change your identity. You are who you are, and that's something I love about you."

"Thank you." She sighed. "The other issue—with the newspaper article—that's what I need to apologize to you about."

Surprise shone on his face. "Why would you apologize to me for that?"

"It was Imaoka-san. I don't know all of the details, but he arranged the article. He seemed to have a bit of a fascination with me. It was very odd." She felt heat on her cheeks; it was embarrassing to admit that a man had acted so badly because of her.

"Nanao-chan, you aren't responsible for his interest in you, or for any actions he might have taken because of it. He's responsible for his choices."

She shook her head. "But I am sorry for accusing you of being the cause of the article, and for being rude about your previous relationships. I said those things to you when it was my fault that we were targeted, when it was my acquaintance with Imaoka-san that caused it."

"It's not your fault, Nanao-chan. That man reacted to a single meeting too intensely. Whatever his motivations, it doesn't have anything to do with you, not really. He may have treated any woman that way."

"Not any woman. Only a woman that desperately needs rescuing from her lecherous Captain." She exhaled a short breath.

"He said that to you?" Shunsui asked, and his tone was low and even—a dangerous neutrality.

"He did, in slightly more pillowed terms. Don't make that face. You aren't going to do anything to him, because there's no need. I made my position on his statements very clear. He will not return to the Eighth Division, and he will not contact me again. I'm certain."

"Did you hit him with a kidō?" he asked, obviously hoping that she had.

"No, I didn't fire a kidō at him, and I thought that was marvelously restrained." Her lips twitched. It was easier now to see the humor in the mortifying situation than it had been this morning.

"My Nanao-chan is a woman of admirable self-control. I wish I'd been there." There was still a ribbon of that dangerous neutrality in his voice.

"I wouldn't have let you do anything to him. He's just an ordinary noble. He doesn't have a chance against you." She gave him a level look.

"We aren't ordinary nobles, are we, Nanao-chan?" He wore pleasure and satisfaction on his face, and it looked good on him.

"No, we aren't." She didn't want his head to swell too big, though. "A man of your great age and experience has a vast advantage over someone like Imaoka-san."

He winced and clasped his hand over his heart dramatically. "Great age? That's mean, Nanao-chan."

"It's true," she said, and sipped her wine.

"Does it bother you?" he asked, his tone shifting to seriousness. "My age and my—experience."

She didn't pretend not to understand the reference to his previous lovers. "It didn't before the newspaper article. I was upset then, but that wasn't a particularly fair reaction."

"Fair doesn't really matter here. What you feel is what's important." His mouth was tense.

"You are who you are because of your age and experience. There's no point to being upset by it, as it can't be changed." The stars were coming out, bright in the sky.

"I don't want you to feel disturbed or upset by my past, whether you find the feelings meaningless or not." He rubbed circles on her palm with his thumb.

She sighed. "There is a serious imbalance of relationship experience between the two of us. Obviously you have vastly more experience than I do, in all manner of things. That's just how it is."

"Nanao-chan," he said, and she shook her head.

"Do you know what I thought of your experience when I first began to consider you for my husband?"

"What?"

"I imagined you in a fundoshi and hiking boots, climbing across a gulf separating us." She smiled and looked away from him as the ridiculous image filled her mind.

"With my hat, or without it?"

She burst into startled laughter.

"I have to get the details right to please precious Nanao-chan." He was grinning when she turned to him, a wicked amusement gleaming in his eyes.

"Don't you dare show up like that, with or without a hat on." She scowled fiercely, her lips twitching.

"But if Nanao-chan wants me like that—"

"I do not. They are symbolic hiking boots, a symbolic gulf—"

"—A symbolic fundoshi?" he suggested.

She raised her eyebrows. "Certainly not a real fundoshi. Aren't they a bit old-fashioned now, anyway?"

"They are still very popular with the men in Seireitei, Nanao-chan. If you're calling me old-fashioned, I would assure you that I adapt well to modern ideas. For instance, women's panties have been one of my favorite recent developments in fashion. And my Nanao-chan has such lovely panties."

She eyed him darkly. "What do you know about my undergarments?"

"Not as much as I'd like. I did see your cute panties when you were packing, though. I'd be delighted to see more of your panties."

She shook her head. "I'm sure that you would."

"I live in hope, Nanao-chan." He grinned.

She looked up at the stars, content. "In any case, your greater experience is not an issue for me, because the relationship that I care about most is the one between us. I believe that if we did get married, you would be faithful to me. In that context, your previous relationships have no bearing on our current one."

He tipped her head gently to see her eyes. His face was full of a tenderness that caught her breath. "Yes. I would be faithful to you, Nanao-chan."

She swallowed, nodding her head the barest inch.

"If you're willing, I'd like to resume our marriage practice."

She lowered her gaze for a moment. It wasn't that she didn't want to resume the marriage practice—she'd enjoyed it, enjoyed their growing closeness, despite some awkwardness. He was proving to be a good choice, even a sensible choice for a husband. He had the qualities she required—including the money—and he had a lot of apparent affection for her. He was a better candidate than the men on the list, and continuing this journey with him was a reasonable decision.

But she wanted to resume the marriage practice for another reason, one hoarded close to her heart. She couldn't name this reason, even to herself, but it was what parted her lips now. "Yes," she said.

"I'm glad, Nanao-chan." His hand came up to cradle her cheek. Her eyes slipped closed and he kissed her. It was a soft kiss, gentle and endowed with all of the tenderness he'd shown earlier. There was a wonderful sense of possibility between them, something fragile and thrilling, and she allowed herself to feel it fully now, the way she had at the picnic yesterday.

She took in a shaky breath when he broke the kiss.

"Nanao-chan?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I'm fine. I was just—I'm glad, too."

He leaned his forehead against hers. "Lay down with me." He fell back into the cushions, looking up at the stars. "Come here." He tugged playfully at her hand.

She shifted back on the cushions, lying stiffly next to him. The stars were bright and beautiful in the sky, but she watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"You should give me a point, Nanao-chan." He propped his head up, smiling.

"For what?" she asked, curious.

"You should give me a point for being the best companion for stargazing on a night like this one."

She relaxed against the pillows. "You'd have to demonstrate that before I'd give you the point."

"I will." He moved closer to her, so that their sides were pressed together, sliding his arm around her easily. "Which star is your favorite, Nanao-chan?" he murmured near her ear.

She considered briefly and pointed at the sky.

He told her about that star in a low velvet voice that she drifted on as if they were at sea. She felt that they were alone in an ocean of stars. Her hand fluttered across his stomach, seeking his hand, and her slender fingers wove between his larger ones.


	15. Chapter 15

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515.

Thanks for your reviews, and thanks for reading!

* * *

"Thank you for coming out to the dojo with me, Nanao-san." Midori Kyōraku smiled as she opened the door of the dojo.

"It's an honor to be invited, Kyōraku-san." Nanao climbed the few stairs to enter the dojo. She still wore her silk kimono, but Kyōraku's mother hadn't changed out of her elegant clothes yet, so Nanao assumed they'd change before sparring.

"Please, call me Midori." Midori gestured for Nanao to sit. A tea tray was set up in the center of the dojo, which was smaller than Nanao expected. A four character scroll reading _ichigo ichie_ hung on the back wall, a phrase Nanao would have expected to see at a tea ceremony, but otherwise the dojo was empty of the kind of inspirational sayings Nanao anticipated seeing.

Midori sat on her heels neatly. She was a tall, elegant woman with an athletic frame and sharp gray eyes. Her hair was gray as well, which deepened the impression of dignified strength that she projected. She poured tea into the cups, her nails short on her long fingers.

Nanao could see the faintest touch of bruising on Midori's knuckles, and it made her relax a little. Even this woman, so intimidating and beautiful, carried the marks of her work. That was something they had in common.

"Thank you, Midori-san." Nanao accepted a cup of tea. "Your dojo is lovely," she said, because it was something of a surprise. The space was scrupulously clean and smelled of flowers.

Midori nodded. "Thank you. We have a much larger dojo where we teach classes. This is more of a private space, where I meditate and practice."

"You are very committed to your work in the martial arts?" Nanao asked, sipping her tea.

"Yes. I'm sure Shunsui has told you that martial arts are a family tradition. I myself was a student here briefly before I married into the Kyōraku family."

"You were a student of the dojo?" How interesting. Nanao had assumed the marriage between Shunsui's parents was arranged, the way most marriages of nobles were.

"Yes. I'd studied elsewhere before, when I was a child. My parents began to press me towards an arranged marriage when I came of age, and I wanted to put that off as long as I could. There was a special intensive course here on meditation that I told my parents I needed to take before I could consider any important decisions, but I was only trying to delay the inevitable."

"So you came here and found someone that you wanted to marry instead?" Nanao asked.

Midori smiled. "Yes. I married my teacher. I was an adult, but it was still quite the scandal at the time. That fades with the years." She patted her hair, steel-colored and silky, pulled back into a neat bun with hairpins. "I always thought I knew what my life would be, but my marriage was a drastic deviation from the plan. It couldn't be helped, though. The Kyōraku men have a certain appeal that only seems to grow as they age."

"Yes," Nanao said immediately, and then thought better of it. "That is—"

Midori waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "If it's the truth for you, don't pretend otherwise, Nanao-san. It's a bit of a relief, actually. You were very formal and cool earlier when we were with my son. It's much better to know that you find him attractive, since you wish to marry him."

"Yes." Nanao felt a blush settle on her cheeks despite her best efforts to maintain her composure. It was uncomfortable to tell the mother of the man she wished to marry that she was attracted to him physically.

"I am curious about why you'd use a matchmaker, Nanao-san. Did your family insist on the formality of a match making process?" Midori's tone was only curious, but her eyes had the same sharp quality as her son's.

"My family did request that I consider an arranged marriage." Nanao wasn't sure if she should say more, but it was inevitable that Shunsui's mother would find out about the Ise family's financial status. Perhaps it would be better to be open from the beginning, and hopefully avoid any feelings of betrayal or deception later. "If I may be honest, my family's finances are not in the best condition currently, Midori-san."

She raised one fine gray brow. "I'm surprised that you would tell me about this at our first meeting."

"It would be pointless to try and hide it," Nanao said. "My family's finances are the motivating factor behind the arranged marriage, and many people know that already. Maintaining any privacy would be impossible." She looked down at her tea. It was embarrassing to be exposed this way in front of this woman, to show such base motivations in this room. The tea set was exquisitely fine, thin and painted with tasteful and exquisite flowers. It likely cost more than a year of Nanao's salary as a Vice Captain.

"It is not my intention to be unkind, Nanao-san, but you must understand that as a mother, I find it very disheartening to hear that my son has been chosen for match meetings because of his money." Midori sipped her tea, her expression neutral.

Nanao's flush deepened. "I understand entirely, Midori-san. It's never been my intention to deceive your son for his money. I was as clear and honest with him about my family's needs as I could be. I can't pretend that there is no financial motivation underlying these meetings, but it's not the only reason they are moving forward."

"So there are other reasons that you placed my son on your list of potential matches? Please tell me about those reasons," Midori said, quietly compelling.

"Actually, Shunsui was not on the initial list of candidates for marriage." Nanao drank a sip of tea, anxiety churning in her stomach.

"No? I'd assumed that the two of you had a personal relationship in advance of the match making." Midori tilted her head slightly.

"We were not romantically involved with one another before my family began the match matching process. Given the drastic difference in the social standings of our families, the matchmaker naturally excluded Shunsui as a possibility." Nanao held her cup with both hands to keep from fidgeting.

"But since we are meeting now, under these circumstances, my son must have become a possibility at some point," Midori said.

Nanao raised her teacup to her lips, stalling, looking for the best wording. "Shunsui decided that he wished to have a match meeting with me, and made arrangements with the matchmaker independently, without notifying us first."

Midori raised her brows. "That was very willful of him. He just imposed what he wanted on you and your family?"

Nanao stiffened. "He did not impose on us. He requested consideration, which I have given him. I have always found him to be a man of good character and now an excellent choice as a potential husband. He is willful, of course. As the leader of the Eighth Division, he needs to be a willful man. Leading hundreds of soldiers requires a strong guiding force."

"Is that so?" Midori asked with her face unreadable.

"Yes," Nanao said firmly. This was an unfortunate turn for the meeting to take, but she couldn't allow Shunsui to be disparaged for things he hadn't done, not even by his mother.

There was silence for a moment, the air tense, before Midori smiled suddenly. "I see. Please tell me more about your reasons for considering marriage to my son."

"What?" Nanao blinked, surprised by the sudden warming of the atmosphere. "Oh—there are a number of reasons—well, points that he's won, really. I have a list."

"You have an actual list? A written list?" Midori asked, curiosity in her voice.

"Yes." Nanao swallowed. "I understand that it isn't the most conventional approach to considering marriage."

Midori waved that off. "Actually, making a list strikes me as a very sensible thing to do. Do you have this list with you?"

Nanao shook her head. "No. I don't know how much the list would mean to anyone else. The reasons are mostly very personal."

"Surely you can share a few with me, Nanao-san?" Midori smiled, her tone gently prodding.

Nanao hesitated, looking for the right words. "Shunsui has good taste, and he's a good cook as well. He has a generous heart. He's generous in a lot of ways, actually. I know you were concerned by the money that my family needs, but your son has known about it from the beginning, and he's promised me that he'll never use money as leverage over me. He wants me to be an equal in our relationship. That's very important to me."

Midori nodded. "I'm glad to hear you say those things about Shunsui. And I was very surprised that you would be so honest about the financial situation of your family, but I'm glad. I knew already, of course."

"You knew already?" Nanao asked, surprised.

"Information is a commodity like any other. It was only prudent to obtain some information in advance of this meeting. After all, my son said that you are very important to him," Midori said. She sipped her tea.

"He said that?" Nanao felt warm for reasons very different from her agonizing embarrassment earlier.

Midori leaned forward slightly, as if she was about to share a secret. "The money could have been a marker for a serious concern, but I find that it is not, after meeting you."

"That's—thank you, Midori-san." The tension in Nanao's back eased a few notches.

"You've spoken of the things you like about my son. But what are his flaws?" Midori poured fresh tea into their cups.

Nanao drank her tea, seeking a little time. "I'm not going to suggest that Shunsui is a man without flaws, but they aren't things that I can't accept."

"Nonetheless, I'd like to know which flaws of his you see." Midori's eyes were sharp on Nanao's face.

Was this the way these meetings normally went? Nanao didn't think so. Still, she should continue to be honest, that was what Shunsui had recommended and it seemed to be working up to this point. "Well, he procrastinates and avoids paperwork as much as possible, putting it off until I force him to do it. He spends too much time drinking and goofing around. He's chronically late and unconcerned with schedules. But he makes rounds every day at the division to visit with our troops. He knows everyone, and he cares about them, although he doesn't care about papers. He cheers up his subordinates and goes to great lengths for his friends, and he's always reliable if you really need him. He doesn't care about schedules, but when you're with him, he's never watching the time. He always gives his full attention to you when you talk to him seriously. He's incorrigible in some ways, but—I'd never want him to change."

"You feel that way, even though you care about organization and schedules and work?" Midori's lips curved up.

"Yes. I care about schedules and organization and work, because he needs me to care about them. Someone has to take care of the things that he doesn't, even if the things that he does take care of are important, too." She shrugged. "It's in my nature to be organized and well-scheduled, and it's difficult for me to accept his blatant rejection of those principles, but we make it work."

"It seems that you do. Actually, I think he's very lucky to have you, Nanao-san. I have genuinely despaired of Shunsui finding a worthy companion to share a future with at times."

"Thank you, Midori-san." Nanao looked away, touched. "It's very kind of you to say that."

"You're welcome." Midori smiled, her teeth flashing in the sunlight. Her smile resembled Shunsui's more than Nanao had noticed before. "Would you mind if I asked a few things about your plans after marriage, Nanao-san?"

"Not at all," Nanao said, a small curl of anxiety still in her stomach.

"Will you continue to work, after you're married?" Midori asked, her mild curiosity very similar to the kind that Shunsui used often when asking difficult questions.

"Yes. I enjoy my work, and I can't imagine leaving the Eighth Division." But these questions weren't very difficult, and they put Nanao on more comfortable ground.

"And when you have children, will you continue to work then?"

Or perhaps the ground was shifting fast. Nanao hesitated. "I haven't considered children."

Midori set down her teacup delicately. "Are you opposed to having children, Nanao-san? I hope you'll forgive the intrusive question, but this is a matter of some importance for me."

"I understand." Nanao floundered, drinking tea to gain a few seconds. "I am not opposed to the idea of having children; it's just not something I've thought about in detail. I would need to make plans, schedules, lists. I hadn't considered marriage at all until very recently."

"So you would have children with my son in the future? It's just that I've waited a very, very long time for grandchildren." Midori smiled, a bit self-deprecating.

Given Shunsui's age, Midori had been kept waiting for a very long time. But she'd have to wait a while longer. "Shunsui and I haven't discussed children yet. I would have children with him, if we both agreed that was what we wanted and it was an appropriate time in our lives for that. But I think that is something we wouldn't do for several years, at least. And I would want to continue to work afterward."

Midori nodded. "You'll have very fine children, Nanao-san. The Kyōraku family makes very handsome babies." Her voice was rich with nostalgia. "Shunsui was a very sweet child."

"What was he like when he was young?" Nanao asked.

"Oh, he was mischievous, adventurous, and incorrigible, as you'd mentioned. He never outgrew that. For a long time I blamed the influence of Captain Yamamoto for the way Shunsui was and for his refusal to become a martial artist, but the truth is, he's always been following his own path, despite the forces pushing him in other directions. I accepted that eventually, begrudgingly. His willfulness is an inherited trait, you know."

Nanao smiled. "I see." She thought of Shunsui as a boy with curling dark hair and a wide grin. If she had a boy with Shunsui, would he be like that? She felt unsteady suddenly and pressed a hand to her stomach to steady herself. There were really a lot of things she'd never thought about before that related to a marriage.

"The one thing that I am certain that Shunsui took from his training here is that." Midori gestured to the _ichigo ichie_ scroll.

"One chance in a lifetime?"

"Yes, that's a fair way to say it. Each experience is unique, and must be focused on, as all things are transient. Shunsui has always grasped the idea of living each experience fully, in the dojo and outside of it."

Nanao nodded. "He teaches it to our division members when he does combat training. There's a scroll like that one in all of the training rooms at the Eighth."

Midori looked surprised, and then pleased. "Did he teach you that as well, Nanao-san?"

"Yes. I had training at the Academy, but Shunsui focused personally on my combat skills when I became his Vice Captain."

"I confess that I'm curious to see your martial arts skills, Nanao-san. My son professed no great interest in our family's work, but I do want to know what he may have learned from us and found worth teaching to others. Would you indulge me in a sparring match, please?" Midori smiled winningly, the lines around her eyes deepening. She was a woman who wore her age the way that Kasumi did, with grace and charm and without denial. She was beautiful to Nanao.

"I would be glad to spar with you, Midori-san. I brought a change of clothes, in fact." Nanao shifted to rise.

Midori stood and went to the door. "I think we're going to get along very well, Nanao-san. It would be a great pleasure to be close to my daughter-in-law."

"I agree, Midori-san." Nanao smiled. The sparring match was yet to come, but she felt as if she'd already survived a hard test. Sparring couldn't compare to tea with Midori.

* * *

Shunsui strolled along the paths in his family's gardens, with no particular destination in mind. He'd spent most of the morning with his mother and Nanao, and then he'd been unceremoniously booted so that the two women could go to the dojo for some private conversation. He'd tried to intervene, but Nanao had given him a look that made it clear his rescue was not welcome.

After that he'd checked in with various workers and tenants he remembered, and then begun to wander the gardens, as it was well into the afternoon and he hadn't seen his mother or Nanao for hours. He leaned over the rail of a small bridge over the river that bisected his family's land, looking down at the fish.

The sound of Nanao's platform sandals drew him, and he looked up to see her crossing to the bridge in her blue kimono with a landscape featuring a river patterning the silk. It was an incredibly detailed, delicate scene, and he knew it must be silk from the Ise estate. Her hair was damp and her cheeks bright. She was lovely.

"At last, sweet Nanao-chan returns to me. Did you spar with my mother?" he asked when she reached the bridge.

"Yes, and then we went to the bathhouse. Did you know you have private baths in the main house and a separate bathhouse?" She leaned against the bridge railing.

"I did know that, although I haven't thought of it in particular before." The anxiety that had driven him to the gardens was relieved by Nanao's easy demeanor.

"I think the entire Ise estate main house could fit in your bathhouse." Her lips curved up.

"Some ancestor thought a huge bathhouse would be a good addition to the property, I imagine." But he was less interested in the bathhouse than in what might have happened there. "If you went to the bathhouse after you sparred with my mother, can I assume that you were getting along well?"

"Your mother asked a lot of questions, but she was very kind. I didn't win our sparring match, but I didn't embarrass myself, either, so there's that." She smiled at him.

His heart jumped like a young boy's would have. He wondered if she would always move him this way. "I'm glad to hear that, Nanao-chan." He lifted her hand gently; the knuckles were faintly bruised. "It looks like it was a tough match."

"Your mother is very, very skilled. She was pleased with what she called my 'ruthless cleverness,' though."

He kissed her fingers. "I like that, ruthless cleverness." It suited her.

"I told her that it was something that you taught me. She was pleased by that."

"That's a rarity. But what else did you talk about? I'm sure you must have spoken about more than martial arts in the dojo and the bath." He leaned closer, sniffing her hair. The scent was roses, probably from soaps made on the estate.

She gave him a level look. "Obviously we talked about you, and about me. You really should have told me that your mother married her teacher. I was anticipating a barrage of questions on our age difference and the power dynamic of our work and personal relationship, but she asked nothing like that. I imagine her own situation made her more understanding of these things."

"She told you about that? I'm sorry, I was under the impression it wasn't something my parents wanted to discuss with people. It's not a secret, but it's not something they bring up much, either." He ran his fingers down the curve of her cheek. "She must have liked you. I knew that she would."

"I think Midori-san and I will get on well. We have many points of agreement on many things." She shifted, leaning slightly into his touch.

He didn't need any further encouragement to drape an arm around her waist and pull her in. "Like what?" he asked. Their privacy was probably limited, given the number of gardeners on the estate, so he contented himself with pressing one kiss to the curve of her neck before pulling back.

"We both take our work very seriously, and agree women should work after marriage if they wish. And we both agree that you are disorganized, schedule-breaking, mischievous, and incorrigible." She glanced away from him, smiling.

He winced. "I keep hoping for the women in my life to give you positive recommendations of me, so that you'll think well of me as a potential husband. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be lucky in that regard."

Nanao laughed. "It's not that Rangiku-san or your mother gave you negative recommendations. I would say that they both gave honest assessments that leaned towards the positive."

"Still, if there was anyone that I would hope to encourage you into this marriage, it's my mother." He pouted, exaggerating the shape of his lips.

She looked at his expression and shook her head. "Don't sulk. Your mother was quite encouraging of our marriage, I assure you. She even asked when we would have children."

"What?"

"She wanted to know when we would have children."

"Children? First Yama-jii, and then my mother." He shook his head.

"You talked about children with Captain Yamamoto?" Nanao asked, frowning.

Shunsui tipped his hat back. "He was interested in the circumstances of our possible engagement."

"What?" She blushed when she realized what he meant, looking appalled. "The Captain Commander asked you if I was pregnant?"

"It isn't as if I wanted to discuss sex with Yama-jii. I'm sure that you didn't want to discuss it with my mother, either," he said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I did not talk about sex with your mother. We were speaking in general terms about the future. There was no discussion of the specifics." She narrowed her eyes at him. "What did you tell Captain Yamamoto?"

"Yare, Nanao-chan. It's not a conversation I'd like to have with him often, but it wasn't bad. I just told him that you aren't pregnant now, and maybe we would have children in the future." Shunsui shrugged. "I'm surprised my mother brought it up at your first meeting."

"Yes. I was also surprised that she asked, although it is a natural topic to arise with marriage. I hadn't given it any thought before."

"What did you tell her, Nanao-chan?" he asked softly. This was a subject he hadn't expected to broach with her until well after marriage.

She turned to gaze out over the water, her hands fidgeting with the rail. "I told her that I have no objection to children, but that I have no plans or schedules prepared yet for that eventuality, since you and I have never talked about it."

He detected tension in the set of her shoulders and moved behind her, folding her into his arms. "I'm sorry that I didn't mention the talk with Yama-jii before and that I didn't realize my mother might bring up children. I've been focused on more immediate issues related to our marriage."

She relaxed against him by degrees. "I understand. But if you could refrain from discussing our private relationship with Captain Yamamoto, I would appreciate that. I have to see him sometimes, too, you know."

He grinned. "Believe me, Nanao-chan, Yama-jii is the last person in the world that I want to discuss sex with. But our conversation about children was good, after the beginning."

"What did you tell him?" she asked. Her voice was curious but not too tense, which was a relief to him.

"That I'd be happy to have children with my Nanao-chan in the future. But I want you to decide when it's the right time, and I want to make sure you have everything you need to feel comfortable with a decision like that." He kissed her temple.

She studied her hands on the rail. "I haven't given this much thought before, but we'd need a second Third Seat and perhaps another Fourth Seat. Obviously I wouldn't want to give up my work, but it's likely I'd need to do more delegating. You'd have to do more work, too. There are so many plans and schedules and lists that I'd need to make."

"Sure," he agreed easily.

"I think it'll be a very long time before I'd want to really consider it, though. There are a lot of things I want to do first, and I would want us to be settled in with each other before thinking about making changes." Her back was stiff against this chest.

He murmured into her ear. "Nanao-chan, we can do anything that you want on whatever schedule you prefer. There's no rush, is there? It might be an interesting adventure to have children with you someday. But I'm happy to have you to myself for a while." He slid his hand down to the curve of her belly, imagining her slender figure round with his child. "I'm happy," he said, awash with tenderness.

She sighed. Her hand left the railing to cover his hand. "This is a conversation I never thought I'd have with you."

"We've been having a lot of those lately." He kissed her hair.

"Yes." She watched the fish swim.

"Let's have another, Nanao-chan. What sort of things do you want to do?"

She twisted to look at him. "What?"

"You said there were a lot of things that you want to do first, before you'd consider having children. What things do you want to do?"

"Your mother is expecting us for dinner," she said, moving away from him to the path back to the house.

"Dinner isn't for an hour, at least." He grinned at her, spinning her back to the path leading deeper into the garden, and tucking her beside him with an arm around her waist. "Tell me. I want to know what kinds of things my Nanao-chan dreams about doing."

"It's nothing so interesting," she protested, even as she walked in step with him into the garden.

"Indulge me," he cajoled. "I'll indulge you," he murmured in a lower tone.

She smiled slightly, her eyes lit from within. "This is only between us," she said in a conspiratorial whisper, leaning in close.

"I'll keep your secrets." He loved that she would share her secrets with him, whether they were large or small.

She laughed, a beautiful, airy sound, and then tipped his head down to whisper in his ear.

He listened avidly, his grin widening until he burst into surprised laughter.

* * *

"It's been such a pleasure to meet you, Nanao-san. I hope to see you again soon," Midori said.

"Thank you for inviting me into your home, Midori-san." It was very late, when Nanao and Shunsui finally left the Kyōraku estate.

Shunsui was pleased, though, because Nanao and his mother did get along as well as he'd hoped. They'd lingered over dinner and talked over tea well past nightfall. "Thanks for being so gracious to Nanao-chan," he murmured to his mother while making his goodbyes. "We'll see you again soon."

He and Nanao left the house, her steps slow. She stifled a yawn with her hand.

"You're tired, Nanao-chan?"

She glanced at him apologetically. "I go to bed pretty early normally. This is quite late for me."

"It's quite late for anyone," he said, looking at the heavy moon. "Let me take you home. My flash step is faster."

She hesitated. "I don't want to risk damage to my kimono."

"It's a beautiful silk, Nanao-chan. I'll be careful." He scooped her up into his arms, bridal style, to minimize the possibility of snagging or tearing her garment. It was hundreds of flash steps back to his house, a great distance, but he covered it quickly. At his house he set her back on her feet easily.

Nanao stepped out of her sandals and entered the house, going to the bedroom. She shuffled to the bed and fell down into it by neat degrees, until she was on her stomach with her hands fisted in the blankets, her glasses folded beside her. "I love this bed."

"I had it made. I wanted something big and plush and comfortable, and it was surprisingly hard to find." He sat down on the bed, fascinated by her tired abandon.

"This bed makes my bed seem like a stingy little rock." She sighed.

"There's an obvious solution. Just stay in my bed forever."

"When this is over, I'm going to take a week off just to sleep," she said, her eyes closed.

"I'll join you, Nanao-chan. I think that's usually called a honeymoon, isn't it?"

She rolled to her side to look at him. "You're supposed to go places on a honeymoon, aren't you? Exotic, exhausting places." She yawned widely, covering her mouth delicately.

"We can honeymoon in bed if we want, Nanao-chan. I think we'd both enjoy it more than exotic, exhausting places." He smiled slowly. They could both be happy here, exploring things together with no travel needed.

She rolled to her stomach. "I'll think about it. Do you think you can figure out my obi? It's the middle of the night and I don't want to bother Rangiku-san at this hour."

"I'm sure I can get it." Her bow wasn't too complicated in appearance. He shifted on his knees to study the knot and bent to the task, savoring the feeling of undressing Nanao in his bed.

Her breathing was deep and even, her eyes closed.

"Nanao-chan? I've untied your obi."

She roused herself, sitting up with his help. "I need to wash my face," she said, her voice blurry.

He stood, bringing her up with him. "Give me your kimono, I'll take care of it."

She slid out of her garment, meandering to the bathroom in her white juban, barely awake.

He took care of her silk clothes and lowered the light in the bedroom. When she emerged from the bathroom in her night robe she went directly to the bed, climbing in immediately. He shed his formal clothes and put them away.

"Are you coming to bed now?" she asked.

"Yes, in a minute, Nanao-chan." He'd thought she was already sleeping.

It was a pleasure to have her here like this, to know that she wanted him close. He got into bed, moving his pillow closer to her and then tugging her back to him, spooning her.

She shifted a little, getting comfortable. "You're warm," she murmured.

He savored the feeling of having her in his arms. When they were married, he'd hold her like this with both of them naked, skin to skin. She'd be shy at first, skittish, but he could coax her out of that. Wasn't he holding her close now, when only a few weeks ago she'd have cracked a fan across his hand for touching her waist?

He pushed down the throbbing heat of arousal, as he had for all of the marriage practice with her. Nanao wanted to choose a husband for logical, practical reasons. Given her apparent lack of romantic experience, he thought lovemaking might muddy the clear list of good reasons he'd given her for choosing him, might make her question her decision. But he wanted Nanao to choose him without regrets or doubts.

He studied her face in the moonlight. She was beautiful; her pink lips were parted slightly, her eyelashes dark against her pale skin. "Good night, sweet Nanao-chan," he whispered, kissing her temple.


	16. Chapter 16

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515, mild foul language.

Thanks for your comments, and thanks for reading!

* * *

Nanao slept later than usual, waking at the bell sound of her phone. She sat up in bed, squinting at the message on the screen.

"What is it?" Shunsui asked, his large hand rubbing lazy circles on her back.

"Kasumi-bāchan. She wants to finalize the meeting with the matchmaker for tomorrow afternoon." She leaned over and grasped her glasses, putting them on.

Shunsui sat up behind her. "What do you want to do?"

"We should have the meeting with the matchmaker. Kasumi-bāchan wants me to travel down tonight to review our options. Then tomorrow—tomorrow we'll meet with you." Her throat felt tight. Marriage was an enormous step, and the thought of taking that leap with anyone was enough to make her stomach roil. With Shunsui marriage seemed even more significant and harder somehow.

He kissed the curves of her neck and shoulder, running his hand down her arm soothingly. "Don't worry, Nanao-chan. We can do this in any way you prefer. The inside of our relationship doesn't have to be what the world thinks it is or should be on the outside. You have control over what's between us, I promise."

"Marriage is important," she whispered. "It's—"

"It's what, Nanao-chan?"

She shook her head.

"Is it a little scary, Nanao-chan?"

"I didn't say that," she said, glancing down at her phone.

He pulled her back against his chest, his arms banded around her middle. "Are you frightened of me?"

"Ridiculous. No."

He kissed her cheek. "Are you frightened of your great-aunt or my mother?"

"A little, but I believe that is an entirely appropriate reaction."

He chuckled. "You're right about that. They are a little scary. But the most important people in a marriage are the ones bound by it. You and me, Nanao-chan. As long as we're together in this, we can conquer anything frightening."

She leaned back against him for several moments, letting the certainty of his voice sink into her. "You aren't ever frightened by me?" She turned her head, narrowing her eyes at him.

"I am deeply frightened by you on occasions when you want me to be, Nanao-chan." He grinned.

"Liar." She tapped his cheek with her fingertips, an imitation slap. The phone trilled again, Kasumi pressing for an answer. Nanao sent her a brief reply, confirming all plans.

"Let's go back to sleep for a while, Nanao-chan. We got back very late last night, you must still be tired."

Nanao was much too awake to return to sleep after the jolt of anxiety Kasumi's message had given her. "I can't, I have a lot that I need to do today. You go back to sleep and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" he asked, surprised.

"I have a lot to do today. I need to do some work at the office, and I want to see Yadōmaru-sempai before I travel to the estate." She shifted to stand, turning to face him. He sat on the bed, disheveled and barely decent. His clothes seemed determined to abandon him much of the time.

He took her hand. "If you want to talk to me about your visit with Lisa-chan, please send me a message or come find me. I'm sure you're great-aunt would forgive a little tardiness."

"Kasumi-bāchan places a high value on promptness," Nanao said, but smiled. She felt better about her recruitment than she had before, but Shunsui would be there for her if she needed him.

"I'll come back to the Ise Estate with you, if you're late. I can make whatever apologies your great-aunt wants."

Nanao shook her head. "That would ruin all her plans. Don't you know that she wants to be alone with me to make sure that I have all the necessary strategies and techniques to win you over tomorrow?"

"She's got it all wrong. I'm the one trying to win lovely Nanao-chan's favor. Sweet, cute, lovely, clever Nanao-chan." He kissed her hand and trailed up her arm, punctuating his words with loud kisses.

"Stop that," she said, but she was happy that he never used the financial needs of her family as a lever in their relationship. She bent at the waist to kiss him, tipping his head back with a hand in his hair.

"Nanao-chan."

Her mouth hovered over his. "Everyone's going to try very hard to impress you tomorrow." She bit her lip. It was too difficult to ask, but he only smiled.

"Don't worry, Nanao-chan, I'll be very impressed. I'll be flowery in my praise for everything."

"You don't have to go that far," she said, but kissed him.

His hands cradled her face. "Come back to bed for a little while, Nanao-chan."

"Not today," she whispered, her breathing uneven and her lips tingling. She stepped away from him to get ready for the day. He lay back in the bed, watching her fuss in the closet and when she emerged from the bathroom, dressed for work.

"Hey, Nanao-chan." He sat up in bed.

She approached the bed. "Yes?"

He took her hand, clasping her fingers lightly in his and bringing her hand to his mouth. "Think of me." He kissed her hand.

Her lips turned up. His eyes were serious and his lips soft on her skin. "You want to monopolize my attention even when you're not there. But I think of you often already."

He smiled slowly, his eyes gleaming. "Do you?"

"Yes, I think about whether you're doing your work, or where you might be hiding, or if you've spent too much of the division budget on liquor—"

He chuckled. "That isn't really what I meant, but I'll take it." His mouth tracked to her palm, kissing it. "I'll see you later, Nanao-chan."

"I'll see you at the Ise estate, Shunsui." She left his house with a quick flash step.

At the office she blazed through her new paperwork, dropping a neat pile on Shunsui's desk for his approval. Everything at the Eighth in order, she went to the noodle shop and got takeout for two before heading to the Rukongai.

She hesitated outside her destination. A shop commonly referred to as a _porn palace_ was an unlikely place to find Nanao, and it made her smile. She'd actually spent several enjoyable afternoons here on her days off. This visit was more important than most, though.

She entered quickly, glancing around. "Yadōmaru-sempai?" she called, not seeing anyone.

Lisa emerged from a back room, a stack of books in her arms. "Nanao-chan, it's good to see you, come in. This isn't the usual day for your visit."

Nanao pushed her glasses up. "No, I wanted to discuss something with you. I brought lunch." She held up the bag from the noodle shop.

Lisa set the books down on an empty shelf. She studied Nanao's face for a moment. "Let me lock up, and we'll have lunch."

"You don't have to do that," Nanao said, but she was glad that Lisa understood this was something important and private.

They sat at a table in the back room, Lisa preparing some tea while Nanao laid out the takeout.

"Was that new stock you were putting away?" Nanao asked.

"Yes, some interesting things. I don't think any of those books would strike you, but there are a few new ones I think you'd like." Lisa handed her a tea cup.

"Thank you. Which new books do you think I'd like?" Nanao sipped her tea, relaxing by degrees at the small talk.

Lisa told her about business and various books and magazines while they ate. After they finished, she poured fresh tea for both of them. "What brings you here on a workday, Nanao-chan? I doubt it was eagerness at the new stock."

"No. I have something to tell you." Nanao wrapped her hands around her tea cup. "My family has recently asked me to consider an arranged marriage."

"An arranged marriage? For reasons related to nobility or to money?" Lisa was perceptive, jumping immediately to the main issues.

"Both, really."

"That's tough. If it was only money, there are other solutions. But once the nobility is involved, that seems to change," Lisa said.

Nanao nodded. "Yes. Nobility has its own restrictions which limit my family's options. So I agreed to consider the arranged marriage, and we engaged the services of a matchmaker."

"And now you've found a match?" Lisa asked. "I'm curious. What kind of man has drawn your interest, Nanao-chan?"

Nanao hesitated before plunging ahead. "I did have some profiles from the matchmaker, however, when Captain Kyōraku found out, he offered himself as a possible candidate."

"He wanted to rescue you? It would fit with his romantic notions." Lisa raised an eyebrow.

"I initially thought so, but he denied it. He says his motivations are selfish."

"He wants you for himself." Lisa narrowed her eyes.

"That would be a fair description of his explanation, yes."

"You're going to marry him," Lisa said, her voice hard with certainty.

"I didn't say that," Nanao protested.

"It's all over your face, Nanao-chan."

"He is a potential match that I am considering very seriously. He is the only match that I am considering," Nanao added, wanting to be honest.

Lisa leaned forward. "You understand that Kyōraku isn't pretending with those romantic tendencies, right? He really wants to go dancing and picnicking and cuddle. His interest in those things isn't just an act. He's somewhat clingy, by my standards, and he wants a lot from his lover."

Nanao smiled. "He's been complaining a little that he hasn't been able to get any ringing endorsements from the women in his life."

Lisa snorted. "Maybe he should reflect on why that's the case instead of complaining about it. Don't get me wrong, Nanao-chan, I'm sure he's good in bed, but the concepts of polite distance between lovers or an open relationship are not things he accepts in his personal relationships. I'm sure he understands them, but they aren't things he'll do."

Something about her phrasing struck Nanao. "You were never involved with him in a romantic way?"

"No. He's really not my type. Given his personality and mine, what we would have wanted was too different," Lisa said.

"I see." Nanao had always assumed, on some level, that Shunsui had been in a romantic relationship with Lisa, but never asked either of them, as it wasn't her place. Knowing that he hadn't had a relationship like that with Lisa was something of a relief.

"Certainly he does have good points, Nanao-chan. He's loyal and generous and exceedingly intelligent. If you marry him those traits would be more important than if you were just sleeping with him."

"Yes. Those other things you said about him are true, too, but they aren't things that I consider to be negatives, really." Nanao remembered the romantic lunch picnic and holding hands with him under the stars the other night.

Lisa shrugged. "That's a difference in personal taste, I suppose. He'll expect fidelity, you know."

"I would also expect that, so it's fine."

Lisa leaned her chin on her hand. "Monogamy is pretty boring to me in the long term, and there's nothing so long term as marriage. But if he's a good lover, and you're happy with him, then it'll be fine for you, probably."

Nanao glanced down at her tea.

Lisa tilted her head. "He is a good lover, isn't he, Nanao-chan?"

"We haven't moved into a physical relationship of that kind yet," Nanao admitted.

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "No? I confess that I'm surprised that either of you would seriously consider marriage without having assured yourselves of sexual compatibility. It's very important, Nanao-chan."

"This is a bit personal, but there are certain behavioral standards applied to women of noble birth, and I've never had any compelling reason to put aside those standards. It just seemed like too much trouble—if I was involved with someone from work, there were so many things that could go wrong, and if it became public, it could damage my family's social standing. Given how delicate our social position is currently, it didn't seem like a risk worth taking."

Lisa's eyebrow went higher. "So you've never had a lover? Wow."

"You don't have to look so shocked," Nanao snapped.

"What? Of course I'm surprised, this is a rare thing these days, isn't it? Well, maybe not among nobles in Seireitei, but it's not like I'm closely acquainted with a lot of noble women. I've been in the Living World for a long time, and these ideas are antiquated there." Lisa shrugged.

"I understand that." Nanao ran her fingertip in circles along the rim of her teacup. She smiled wryly. "I'm an antique."

"You're not old enough to be an antique, Nanao-chan. Anyway, this isn't a problem, it's just unusual. What did Kyōraku say about it?"

"It's not something we've discussed."

"You haven't told him? Hmm." Lisa leaned back on her hands. "There are a lot of different things you could do."

"Like what?" Nanao adjusted her glasses.

"Well, you wouldn't really be interested in most of my solutions, I think, since you were into the monogamy and the romantic things earlier. Which is why I don't think this is actually a problem for you at all."

"Why is it not a problem?"

"Whether you regard it as a positive trait or not, Kyōraku is genuinely a romantic person. So he's going to think in romantic terms, and find it special and sweet and crap like that, when he's your first lover and you're getting married. So you could just go along with it, if you were fine with his romantic framing."

"I could just not tell him at all," Nanao said.

"Don't do that. You should be honest with the people you have sex with when it's about things that directly impact them. Kyōraku will try to have a good experience with you if you tell him, but if you don't and then have a bad experience, he'll feel terrible about that even if it doesn't really bother you. You want to have a good relationship with him and have good sex with him? Be honest."

"You're right, Yadōmaru-sempai. It would be best to tell him." She considered for a moment. "Would you just say something like that over dinner?"

"Say it in bed. That's the most natural place for that kind of confession, and it'll be dark enough to hide your blush." One corner of Lisa's mouth lifted in a smirk.

Nanao narrowed her eyes. "Why do you assume I would blush?"

"Nanao-chan, you're blushing now. You're a blusher. I'm sure Kyōraku finds it really cute." Her eyes gleamed with amusement.

"If you try to pinch my cheeks, I may throw a kidō at you."

Lisa laughed. "You're too much fun to tease, Nanao-chan."

"So I've been told. But I've also been told that my retribution can be very impressive."

"I don't doubt that. You learned from me, didn't you?" Lisa drank her tea and put the cup down with a clang. "Do you want books?"

Nanao blinked at the abrupt change of subject. "Books?"

"Sex books. Relevant ones for your experience, and maybe a few for later, when you're comfortable with trying things out for fun." Lisa grinned.

"If you have some books that you think would be good for me, I'm interested. Thank you, Yadōmaru-sempai." Lisa did undoubtedly know a lot about sex, since she had a bookstore mostly devoted to it.

Lisa rubbed her hands together, looking a little gleeful. "Come with me."

Nanao followed her into the main room of the bookstore as Lisa darted along between different shelves, selecting books.

"Do you want erotica?" Lisa asked.

"Is it realistic?"

"Not particularly. We'll skip it for now. You can always get more books later." Lisa ran her fingers along the spines of the books. "Do you want some manual-style books?"

"I think I'd prefer that."

Lisa nodded, handing a book to Nanao. She selected two more from the shelf quickly. "These are for your general knowledge. I'm sure you have an excellent grasp of anatomy and all of the basics already, but it never hurts to refresh yourself."

"All right." Nanao flipped through the book on top. "These position diagrams look very challenging. I don't think my spine will bend that way." Her brows drew together, her head tipping to the side.

"It's a very ambitious book, but it's good to aim high, even if you can't quite get there." Lisa glanced at the page. "It would work with a table, I think."

"I suppose so," Nanao said, a bit dubious.

They worked through an exhaustive tour of the bookstore, with Nanao's pile growing to six books, some of them with content she wasn't sure she'd actually be interested in, but she appreciated Lisa's effort to help her. She sat down in a high-backed chair while Lisa flipped through a rack of magazines.

"I have some bridal ones, if you'd like those, Nanao-chan."

"Oh—all right. I haven't given any thought to what would be involved in an actual wedding."

Lisa grabbed a few magazines. "Honestly, since you're both nobles, I don't know that you actually would have a lot of say in what happens, so maybe you don't have to worry about it too much."

"That's true, there could be traditions we'd be expected to carry out, a specific shrine we'd be expected to use, a particular format for the ceremony we'd have to do." Nanao wasn't too bothered by this idea; she'd spent very little of her time imaging a wedding. She accepted the magazines from Lisa anyway. They might be fun to flip through and Rangiku might like them.

Lisa sat down across from Nanao. "You're getting married, Nanao-chan," she said quietly, and there was more sentiment in her eyes than Nanao had seen before.

"Maybe," Nanao hedged.

Lisa shook her head. "Can you imagine marrying anyone else now?"

Nanao shook her head very slightly.

"Then you're getting married. And to that fool. I bet he can't believe his luck."

"He's been trying very hard to impress me." Nanao's lips curved up.

"I shudder at the thought. Chocolates and poems and candles and all that crap, right?" Lisa made a face.

Nanao laughed, nodding. "It's very sweet, actually."

"It is. That's why I'm not interested in it."

"I don't mind. I wouldn't say I'm a particularly romantic person, but when it's him, I don't mind." Nanao's voice softened unintentionally.

"Nanao-chan is all grown up," Lisa said, wistfulness leaking into the words.

"Yes, but it doesn't mean things have to change."

Lisa shook her head. "They should change. You're an adult, Nanao-chan, and our relationship should reflect that. You're still calling me Yadōmaru-sempai while I call you Nanao-chan. But if we're friends and equals, you should use my name. Call me Lisa from now on, okay?"

Nanao hesitated. "I'll have to practice. Lisa-san."

"We'll work on it. Nanao-san," Lisa said.

Nanao shook her head. "No, that's not right somehow. Please continue to call me Nanao-chan. I'm used to that."

"If that's what you like, Nanao-chan. But please call me Lisa. I think that sounds just right."

Nanao smiled, resting her hand on the pile of books and magazines. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." Lisa meant that, Nanao knew. Her honesty could be painful sometimes, and Nanao hoped that this was not one of those occasions.

"The other day I was thinking about recruitment, and about my recruitment as a top selection to the Eighth. I know that I couldn't have been the best candidate that you saw that day. But you selected me for the Eighth Division anyway. I asked Captain Kyōraku, but he didn't know why you chose me."

Lisa narrowed her eyes. "This is important to you."

"Yes. Please be honest with me, I need to know." Nanao's hands clasped each other in her lap.

"You say you weren't the best candidate that I saw, but you must know by now that people are more than statistics on a piece of paper, that recruitment is complicated by many factors. Personality, intelligence, potential, charisma—there are a lot of things that influence a decision like recruitment."

"Yes, now that I've been doing recruitment myself for the Eighth, I've come to understand those things," Nanao said.

Lisa nodded. "Then you understand. When you say you weren't the best candidate, technically that's correct, based on the papers for each candidate, but you were the best candidate for the Eighth Division that year, I'm certain. You were ranked very highly in kidō for your age, and you could only improve even more as you matured. And you were interested, asking questions, curious—that's important, too."

"Do you really think I was the best candidate?" Nanao asked. She couldn't quite believe that.

"You were the best candidate for the Eighth Division. That specificity is important. I saw that you'd fit in there and that you could grow powerful there. I think the rightness of my choice has been borne out by time, hasn't it? You're now the Vice Captain of the Eighth." Lisa leaned back in her chair.

"That's why, then? Because I had potential?"

Lisa glanced away and then back at her squarely. "When I saw you with that fat book and those questions and earnestness, it reminded me a little of myself when I was young. I saw something in you that I thought I could nurture. I wasn't able to mentor you for as long as I would have liked, but I think you grew up really well, Nanao-chan. I'm glad I chose you."

Nanao swept her eyelids down to cover the unexpected dampness of her eyes. "Thank you. It means a great deal to me to hear that from you." She was surprised to feel Lisa's arms around her in a loose hug.

"Kyōraku is better with this kind of behavior than I am, but that doesn't mean I can't do it at all," Lisa murmured.

Nanao laughed, returning the hug, a little awkward, but happy. "If we get married, will you come?"

"Of course. A wedding is a good place to pick up people and find new customers." Lisa stepped back from the hug, nodding.

Nanao laughed again. "Multi-tasking is a good way to maximize your gain from attending, I suppose."

Lisa shrugged. "I'll congratulate you and Kyōraku, and then it's just a normal party, isn't it?"

"It'll be a good party, if Shunsui has anything to say about it. I think we'll have an engagement party as well—he'd mentioned something about that, but I wasn't listening too closely—he likes parties, so I'll leave that to him." Nanao shook her head at the thought.

"He got you to use his name, bare like that? It's a bit impressive. Nanao-chan is so polite."

"His persistence is really remarkable. And if we were to get married, it would be fine to use his name." She bit her lip.

"Don't get nervous. Getting married is a big party and then the monotony of eternity with one person, that's all," Lisa said easily.

"You make it sound so appealing." Nanao raised an eyebrow.

"It's not for me, Nanao-chan. I'm happy for you if this is what you want, but it's a little too straight and narrow for me."

"I understand. It's not for everyone. I wasn't sure that marriage was something I could do, but—I think it would be all right, if it's him."

"You love him?" Lisa asked.

"What?" Nanao's mouth fell open, surprised.

"With the way you talk about him, I wondered."

Nanao frowned. "Emotions are not a solid basis for a lasting relationship. Common interests, commitment to each other, clear and defined sets of expectations for each person: those are the things that form strong foundations for relationships."

"Sure. Those are important things, good things to base a relationship on." Lisa leaned forward. "It would be all right if you did love him, though. Reason is not the most important thing in the world. Sometimes things that don't make rational sense are important and worthwhile, too. Haven't you ever been curious about love?"

Nanao looked away. "Maybe, but I don't know about that."

"That's fine, Nanao-chan. Nobody expects you to know everything. Don't look so worried."

Nanao smoothed the cover of the magazine on top of her stack. "I'm a little worried about getting married," she confessed.

Lisa smiled. "It's a big change and something entirely new for you. You'll have to keep me updated about how it goes. I'm very interested to see what happens."

Nanao nodded. "I can do that."

They talked a bit more on other things, and then Lisa took Nanao's book stack to bag up for her. "Can you flip the sign to _Open_ for me?" Lisa asked.

"Yes, of course." Nanao went to the front of the store to turn the sign over. When she took the bag of books from Lisa it felt a bit heavier than before, but maybe that was just dread at the thought of hauling all of these sex books through Seireitei to her quarters. It had "potential disaster" written all over it.

But the trip was uneventful, and Nanao was unpacking the books within twenty minutes of leaving Lisa's shop. On the bottom of the bag there was an extra book, one Nanao hadn't seen before.

_Love: A Practical Manual_ was a small book with a plain white cover. Nanao smiled at the book, shaking her head. Even if they were both adults and friends now, Lisa hadn't entirely given up her role as mentor, it seemed.

She opened the book, finding a note from Lisa on the first page. _Here's something to explore your curiosity about love. It never hurts to have more information, does it? -Lisa_

Nanao tucked the book into her overnight case for the Ise estate trip even though she was sure that it contained nothing practical at all.


	17. Chapter 17

**Contains: **Spoilers through Bleach manga chapter 515.

This chapter mentions an _uchikake_, which is a full-length outer robe worn over a kimono in a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony.

**A/N: **I'm sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out, thank you for your patience! Some of the delay is due to edits that I've made to chapters 4 - 11. These edits are primarily minor dialogue additions, small tweaks to Nanao's characterization, and nothing that changes the plot of the story. I needed Nanao to have a bit more spark and fire for the ending I've planned. This story will end around chapter 20 or so, so there's not too much left.

If you've sent me messages/reviews/comments and I haven't responded yet, I will very soon! Thank you for your interest in this story, I appreciate it. ^_^

* * *

At the Ise estate activity was higher than Nanao could ever recall. Workers cleaned tatami floors, ran clothes over the wood in the house, and moved furniture. Nanao followed the sound of her aunt's forceful instructions to the main bath of the estate house.

"Just cover it for now, we'll have to repair it later," Kasumi said. Workers dutifully applied new boards to the stairs leading up to the bath.

"Kasumi-bāchan," Nanao said.

"Nanao-chan, you're here early." She waved at the workers. "The underpinnings are rotting and all of the wood needs replacement."

"It looks fine." Nanao couldn't see any flaws beyond the step the workers were replacing.

"That's the idea," Kasumi said dryly. "We'll dress things up for now, in the hopes of keeping up appearances long enough for your match meetings to finish."

"It's not strictly necessary, as Captain Kyōraku already knows the true state of affairs here." But Nanao understood it was also a matter of pride for Kasumi and the residents of the Ise estate to present themselves well.

Kasumi led her out of the bath and into the back garden, where people were trimming shrubs and flattening the paths neatly. "It is something of a novel courtship technique to confess all of the worst things about a potential marriage at the first match meeting, but it does appear to have succeeded for you with Captain Kyōraku."

"The financial needs of the Ise estate were not particularly off-putting to him. He is not a man who places a great deal of value on having large sums of money in his accounts, beyond purchasing what he wants." Nanao watched a gardener painstakingly trim centimeters off a tree branch.

"Many men like to think themselves above watching their purse closely, but clutch the purse strings close when asked to part with some of their money." Kasumi's voice was neutral.

Nanao nodded. "I am aware of that. Captain Kyōraku mentioned that as a possibility with the other men of the matchmaker's list. But he has promised that he will sign over equal access to his money to his wife."

Kasumi's eyes narrowed. "He promised you that?"

"Yes."

"When will he sign it over?" She leveled a stare at Nanao. "I'm not asking purely because of the estate. Having equal access to the money would be an important security for you when you're married. If he should become displeased, he wouldn't be able to wield money over you like a cudgel. If he should die before you, you wouldn't be dependent on the generosity of his family for your funds. This is important, Nanao-chan."

A small boy with a rake went over the sand around a stone arrangement with great care. This match meeting and Nanao's marriage were important to so many here at the estate. "I'll ask him to have the papers prepared for signature on the day of the wedding, if we move forward with this." A wave of icy anxiety flickered through her veins. It wasn't anxiety about asking Shunsui for that concession; he'd grant it without reservation, she was sure.

_Marriage is important_, everyone said, and they were right. It was hugely, enormously, important.

"Good." Kasumi pressed a hand to her arm. "Nanao-chan, I know I've been speaking as if your marriage to Captain Kyōraku is a foregone conclusion, but that's not the case. If you don't want to marry him, if you would rather call everything off, tell me and I'll cancel the meeting tomorrow. You have choices, Nanao-chan."

Nanao's lips curved up, her body relaxing a little. It meant something to her to have Kasumi say that, knowing what it might cost her and the Ise estate. "Thank you for that. I do have choices. I'm choosing to have a match meeting with Captain Kyōraku tomorrow, and if I do marry him, it will be because I've chosen to do so. Don't worry, Kasumi-bāchan. No one wants me to freely choose my path more than he does," she said, and knew it to be true. He'd persuaded, coaxed, gifted, and romanced for her favor, but he'd never tried to rob her of her choices in the way Imaoka had. Nanao believed Shunsui wanted deeply to be chosen by her.

Kasumi studied her expression, her face softening at whatever she saw in Nanao's eyes. "Then I would like to discuss a few matters having to do with the potential wedding, if you don't mind."

"Of course, what do you want to discuss?" Nanao asked.

Kasumi walked to a wooden bench in the garden, sitting stiffly. "Have you given any thought to your wedding, Nanao-chan?"

"Exceedingly little," she said. "I have a few magazines I haven't read."

Kasumi nodded. "It isn't as if you were able to spend your childhood dreaming of a future wedding." Her voice held a ribbon of guilt.

There was history for that guilt, but Nanao didn't want to revisit it today. "I doubt very much that I would have done that under any circumstances. It's outside of my interests, even the ones I had as a child."

Kasumi's eyes closed and reopened, but she changed the subject, as Nanao had hoped. "There are a few things that we should consider, in any case. The first is that if the wedding can take place soon that would be best for the estate."

"That would be fine with Captain Kyōraku," Nanao said. "I don't believe his mother would object, either."

"I hope you're right about that. The second issue is that the Ise estate will not be able to host any kind of ceremony or reception. The estate couldn't be reconditioned in time. We must politely decline any ideas that involve the estate."

"That's fine. I don't have any particular opinion on where it should be held, though I would favor something close to the Gotei 13. All of my friends and acquaintances are there, and it would be easier to invite them without objections to their social standing if it's within the Gotei 13's space."

"I don't think you need to listen to such objections, unless they come from Captain Kyōraku's family. That would be thorny," Kasumi said.

"They won't raise objections like that, because it wouldn't get them anywhere with Captain Kyōraku."

"You're very certain of him," Kasumi said, smiling.

Nanao adjusted her glasses. "I suppose I am," she admitted.

"I'm glad." Kasumi shifted on the bench. "I know that you are young, and that many traditions may not be of interest to you, but there are two that I would like you to consider regarding your wedding clothes."

"What is it?"

"I would like you to wear a kimono made of Ise silk. There's a particular bolt of silk that I've been eyeing for you since after the first match meeting with Captain Kyōraku, and I'd like your permission to prepare your wedding kimono with it."

"Yes, please have the kimono made if the engagement proceeds tomorrow. I'd be happy to wear Ise silk for my wedding. I wouldn't want to wear anything else." Kasumi had excellent taste, and Nanao was sure that whatever she'd selected would be lovely. Kasumi had gifted Nanao most of her kimonos and all of them were quite elegant.

"Thank you, Nanao-chan." Kasumi paused. "Our family has an uchikake, a very beautiful one made of red Ise silk with a crane pattern. It's been worn by five generations of Ise brides. I know it's a very traditional piece, but I'd be proud to have you wear it for the ceremony."

"I'd be honored to wear it, Kasumi-bāchan." Nanao smiled at the emotion in her great-aunt's eyes. Kasumi worked hard to preserve the Ise name and took pride in the family and their traditions, even when life had been very hard. If it meant something to Kasumi to see Nanao in the family's uchikake, Nanao would wear it with pride.

"Thank you, Nanao-chan. There are so many things we need to prepare for the wedding, especially if we want it to happen soon. The guest list, invitations, food, entertainment—and so much depends on what his family needs or wants in the event. We must be certain that they are satisfied by the choices. It's important for you to start your marriage on good terms with Captain Kyōraku's family."

"I suppose that it is important." The list Kasumi had started ran on and on in Nanao's mind. The necessary arrangements seemed endless. She swallowed. "I'll have to get a bigger notebook."

"What?"

"For all of the lists I'll need to make. Maybe I'll make a list of all my lists." Nanao rubbed at her temples. The thought of organizing a huge event that was very important to two families on a short timeline was headache enough, but she was likely to have very little control over the wedding itself. Kasumi and Midori would both want a strong hand in guiding the wedding, Nanao was sure, and there would be vital traditions and noble conventions to follow.

"Don't worry, Nanao-chan, I'll help you as much as I can. We should talk about the other fabrics for the wedding—I'd like them all to come from the Ise estate, and for the colors—"

"It's a nightmare," Nanao murmured. Adding event planning for a noble wedding on top of her regular work and SWA duties? And no decisions would be as simple as Nanao choosing something—Kasumi and Midori would need to be consulted, traditions considered, and a compromise reached. The prospect of sleep in the next few months receded further and further away from Nanao's grasp.

"What did you say, Nanao-chan?" Kasumi touched Nanao's arm lightly. "Are you feeling alright? You look a bit distracted."

"Can we talk about the wedding after the meeting? I'd prefer to focus on what's tomorrow for now."

"Of course, Nanao-chan." They watched workers industriously grooming the garden and the outside of the house. "So much work and it's all for one afternoon. It would be more usual to have an engagement occur at a third matchmaking meeting instead of the second, but it's such a relief to have an engagement happening at all."

"We aren't there yet," Nanao said. She agreed that an engagement would be announced tomorrow, but the inevitability of it, the pressing weight of eternity— topped with the looming logistical nightmare of the wedding—made her breath tight in her chest.

* * *

But soon enough the hour of the meeting arrived. Shunsui was early, remarkably neat and well-dressed in dark blue with the finer pink silk haori on his shoulders. He was courteous to the matchmaker Takahashi, charming to Kasumi, and attentive to Nanao.

They took tea in the same room they'd had tea during the first match meeting. Nanao found herself just as impatient and unfocused this time as the first. Why did they have to do this—drink tea for an hour and speak of nothing—when everyone knew the purpose of this meeting?

"The weather has been very pleasant. I believe our summer flowers will be exceptionally lovely this year," Kasumi said.

"The weather has been very good, Kasumi-san. I'm sure that the summer flowers will be as delightful as the spring flowers have been." Shunsui smiled.

It went on and on. When would they get to the private meeting? Was the room getting hotter? The walls seemed closer in than before. Nanao shifted, uncomfortable.

"Don't you think so, Nanao-chan?" Kasumi asked.

"Yes," Nanao said promptly, having no idea what she'd agreed with, but Kasumi nodded.

"Of course you're correct, Ise-dono," Takahashi said.

The conversation dragged on like that for several more minutes. When a second pot of tea arrived Nanao rose to her feet, stifled and needing to escape. "Please excuse me for a moment, I need some fresh air."

She ignored the concerned questions of her aunt and the matchmaker and strode to the gardens as quickly as she could in her kimono. On the garden path she slowed, breathing deeply.

"I'm beginning to think that you have an aversion to match meetings," Shunsui said, his voice warm and amused behind her.

"I have an aversion to sitting in pointless conversation for hours and pretending we aren't here for one particular purpose. I don't want to talk about the flowers of summer or whether it's been unusually humid this year anymore." She rubbed her sternum. It'd gotten hard to breathe in that room. But this was an important day, not just for her, but for her great-aunt and for Shunsui, as well. She turned to him, opening her mouth to apologize.

He pressed a kiss to her hair, his hands closing on her shoulders gently. "I take it your visit to your great-aunt has not been relaxing."

A small laugh escaped her lips. "They were making cosmetic repairs and cleaning all day and night. I told Kasumi-bāchan that you already know the status of the estate, and that you'd already seen some of it on your first visit, but everyone worked hard anyway."

"And no one got any sleep at all." His hands cradled her face. "Listen, Nanao-chan, even if you believe that you know how things will end up, it doesn't mean that it's not worth experiencing the journey there. I agree the tea was a bit dull, but this moment with you is a special one that we'll only have once, and I want to experience it all. So let's start over, all right?"

He wanted to embrace the moment. He believed in _ichigo ichie_, in a once in a lifetime experience_. _She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I'm sorry that I left the meeting so suddenly."

He shook his head. "It's fine, Nanao-chan. I would have engineered an escape sooner if I knew that you were on the verge of running away."

"I wasn't running away, I was just running out for some air." It was a fine distinction, but she wanted to make it. Nanao smiled. "We'll restart. Good afternoon, Shunsui."

His eyes gleamed silver. He'd trimmed his beard and his hair was tied back more neatly than usual. But the pink silk haori was still on his shoulders and his hairpins stuck out of his hair tie. Even when he was playing the part of the noble, he was still Shunsui. "Good afternoon, Nanao-chan." He kissed her, just a bare brush of his lips against hers. "We have an audience," he murmured.

Nanao laughed, and it sounded suspiciously close to a giggle to her own ears. She really did need some sleep. "It's not just the gardeners clipping that same hedge for the last several minutes. The matchmaker brought opera glasses. Kasumi-bāchan may have dug out a telescope; she's ambitious enough. We are a subject of great interest to many people currently."

He smiled, a bit rueful. "I'll be on my best behavior."

She shook her head. "There's no need. Everyone is so inclined to think positively of you that you could strip naked and walk on your hands in the garden and they'd call it charming eccentricity."

"And what would my Nanao-chan think?"

"I would find it decidedly not charming," she said firmly, her lips twitching. It was such a relief to see him like this after the weight of everyone's wishes for the future had been pressed more firmly on her. No one had tried to pressure her, but when she saw the efforts and fragile hopefulness of her great-aunt and all of the estate residents in the last day, she'd wanted to secure their futures. She'd taken those hopes on voluntarily, but the weight was heavy. Seeing Shunsui lifted some of that. He was trying to take those hopes and carry them with her, wasn't he? "Please keep your clothes on in my family's garden. But I am glad that you're here."

"Did you miss me, Nanao-chan?" he asked, smiling. It wasn't something she'd usually admit to directly; she'd always evaded it by adding in their division or their friends, putting as many people in front of her need for him as she could, hiding her affection in indirect words.

But she had no need to evade him now, did she? Not when they stood on the edge of something much more important than a small admission like this one. "I missed you," she said quietly, and it was still a surprise to both of them that she would say the words.

His eyes widened and softened, his hands rising to her face, his thumbs gently stroking her cheekbones. "I missed you too, Nanao-chan." He leaned closer, his deep voice silky next to her ear. "It makes me so happy to hear you say that."

She gasped when she felt his tongue caress the shell of her ear. He straightened quickly, his expression intense before he grinned and feigned a fluttering motion over his heart. She shook her head in mock rebuke, but it was all play; it was what he'd said in her ear that was real.

She turned to the path and he laid his large hand against her back. They began to walk slowly away from the house. "I visited Lisa-san yesterday. I told her about the matchmaking and the possibility of our engagement. We talked about that, and about other things."

His eyebrows went up at her change of address for Lisa. "Was she able to put your mind at ease about your recruitment?"

"Yes. She recruited me to the Eighth for my potential and my resemblance—not physical—to her. It was more than I could have hoped for, really. I spent most of the day with her, talking about other things."

"I'm glad, Nanao-chan. I knew she had good reasons for choosing you. You must have stayed there for a long time. I hung around the office, in case you decided to stop in and check on the paperwork."

"I was too busy talking about you," she said, her lips curved up.

"I'm afraid to ask, given what Rangiku-chan and my mother said about me." He winced, exaggerating it.

Nanao laughed. "Lisa-san said you are appallingly romantic and somewhat clingy, and no amount of good sex could make up for that."

"Appallingly romantic? It has a certain flair, although it would be nice to get a good character reference from my friends and family someday."

"The 'appallingly' may have been implied rather than stated. Lisa-san said some very nice things about your loyalty and generosity. The credit for good sex should count for a lot, since sex is so important to Lisa-san." She fought down a blush. Talking coolly with him about sex was still beyond her powers, but she didn't need to show that on her face.

"I suppose that's something, since she does take sex so seriously." He gave her a sidelong glance. "Lisa-chan and I never had that kind of relationship, though."

"I know. I believe she's speculating from the information available to her and her own perceptions." She shrugged. "But it would have been fine if the two of you had been involved that way in the past. Undoubtedly I would have found it very awkward for a while, but it wouldn't change things between you and me, or affect my relationship with Lisa-san. After all, if I held everything you've ever done against you, I'd never have time for anything else," she finished lightly.

"Nanao-chan is so practical." His hand climbed her back to caress the nape of her neck in a way that sent delightful shivers through her. "Nanao-chan is so beautiful, too."

She smoothed her hand over her hair carefully. Delicate purple flowers cascaded from the ornament woven into the upswept hair at the back of her head. "Kasumi-bāchan wanted me to be as appealing as possible for this meeting. It's a new kimono from the estate." Koi fish leapt in waves across the pale silk.

"It's lovely, but you're far lovelier."

"Lisa-san might have said appallingly romantic," she said, but smiled.

"My sentiment was true, as well as romantic. But Lisa-chan has no appreciation for romance, which is too bad. She has enough interest in sex that I would have expected a bit of interest in romance to leak in."

"She does carry a wide selection of books, and some of those are about romance as well as sex. The sexual content in my book collection has risen dramatically since she opened her shop. It's a bit disconcerting, actually."

"How fascinating. What kind of sexual content has invaded your collection, Nanao-chan? Did Lisa-chan give you books yesterday?" He watched her face, his eyes lit with avid interest.

"Lisa-san sold me books yesterday. She's very entrepreneurial."

"She sold you books? I think she would have gifted them to you if you'd asked."

Nanao nodded. "But Lisa-san is making a living doing something that she loves, and I want to support her in that, so I buy my books."

"About those books—"

"Yes? Did you have a question about the books?" she asked innocently, tilting her head. Teasing him was more fun than she'd expected.

"What was in them, Nanao-chan?" He leaned closer to her, with a glance at the distant but not-so-secretly staring gardeners.

"I haven't had time to read them yet, but I would characterize the content as ambitious." She arched a brow.

"Ambitious," he said, a dreamy look on his face. "I want to see them, Nanao-chan."

She laughed. "You can go to Lisa-san's bookstore and buy any number of sex books. There's no reason for you to read mine."

"It's because they're yours that I want to read them. Nanao-chan's ambitious sex books—"

"They aren't my sex books, I haven't even read them," she protested.

"But you will, because Lisa-chan picked them for you." He grinned. "Please let me read your sex books, Nanao-chan."

"Absolutely not."

He pouted, which she ignored, her lips twitching. "Nanao-chan, if we're married, can I read your sex books?"

"We could negotiate the question then. There are probably a number of boundaries we'd need to negotiate." She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

"Yes, and we will. But let's take it one step at a time, sweetheart." They'd come to the edge of the tended garden. "Will you come with me to the abandoned garden?"

"Yes, but why?" Her brows drew together. "You've already seen it. It hasn't been rehabilitated."

"It's where we shared our first kiss," he said, and she remembered what Lisa had actually said: he was a genuine romantic.

It didn't annoy Nanao the way that it had annoyed Lisa; instead she felt a wave of warm emotion wash over her. "Yes, I'll come with you."

He took her hand, leading her through the looping, disguised path in the hedge to the untended garden. The broken fountain, dirty stone bench, and torn-up path were the same as before. He'd picked up the damaged fish tail from the ground before they'd left during the first match meeting and set it on the rim of the fountain. She wasn't sure why, but it made her feel better to see it there, to remember that he'd taken a moment to care for this place.

Shunsui laid his haori down on the bench and Nanao sat gingerly, folding her hands against her obi. Her stomach was roiling, her nerves tingling in her fingertips.

He sat close to her, turning to face her, his leg pressing against hers. "So here we are, Nanao-chan."

She took a deep breath and met his eyes, holding his gaze steadily. "Here we are. I am considering a marriage arranged by a matchmaker. Why are you here, Shunsui?"

"I want you to choose me for your husband." He echoed his words from the first match meeting seriously, matching her tone, and then smiled. "It's not war, Nanao-chan. You don't need that much steel."

"You can't be sure of that," she said, but her body relaxed slightly.

"Marriage could be a lot of different paths for us, but I hope that it's never war." He reached out and peeled one of her hands away from her obi, rubbing her palm with his thumb.

"Lisa-san said marriage is a big party followed by the monotony of eternity with one person."

"Lisa-chan prefers loose, casual relationships, if I recall. There's nothing wrong with that. But it's not the kind of relationship that you and I will have. We'll have a close and intimate marriage, one that's a partnership."

"That's what we talked about here during the first match meeting." Her eyes slipped down to their joined hands, but she pushed herself to hold his gaze again. She would not be ruled by her nerves, not when this was so important to both of them.

"Yes. When we were here before and I asked you to marry me, you couldn't picture what our lives would be like if we were married. The marriage practice gave us a glimpse of our lives together. Can you imagine being married to me now, Nanao-chan?" His voice was strong, but there was a small glint of worry in his eyes. It steadied her a little to see that; he wasn't immune to the weight of this meeting, either.

She glanced at the fish tail on the fountain rim. It was just a small gesture, but it meant something to her. "The marriage practice has been challenging, but it's also been illuminating. You've acquired a list of twelve or fourteen points over the men in the file."

"Twelve or fourteen?" He tilted his head, bemused.

"There were a few points that weren't entirely finalized or that I wasn't certain should be credited to you, so it's twelve or fourteen points, depending on the interpretation." She adjusted her glasses, more comfortable talking about organizational choices than closeness and intimacy.

He chuckled. "I'm curious about what made it onto your list."

"I have a copy in the house," she said, half-rising. It would be a relief to be alone for a moment, to try and ease the tension tightening her back and stiffening her neck. This meeting had been planned for days, but she thought it must be too important and rare of an occasion for advanced planning to make it any easier.

He held her hand and tugged her back down. "Show me later. Were those reasons on your list enough, Nanao-chan? Can you imagine being married to me now?"

Nanao closed her eyes for focus, considering the marriage practice, the list of points, the kisses and the bickering. She'd felt so much for him, with him, during the marriage practice that it was difficult to name and measure those emotions. For now she would stick with what was rational and clear, the solid and tangible reasons she had to choose him. She opened her eyes. "Yes, I can. The points vary in importance, but together they're a list of logical reasons to marry you. The Ise estate will be restored, and that's the most important thing."

"Is it?" His voice was even and curious, but his eyes were watching her closely.

She nodded. "How could it not be the most important thing? There are so many people living and working on the estate, and they should be taken care of. The Ise family's noble status will be retained for my niece and nephew, so that they can grow up with many opportunities that would otherwise be lost to them."

"Certainly the people on the estate are important and your family is important, but Nanao-chan is important, too. What do you want, Nanao-chan?"

She wanted to get this moment right, but wasn't sure what the right words were. "There are good reasons to believe that we can form a solid partnership together. I believe that we should proceed forward with a marriage," she said, stiff and careful.

"You're right, Nanao-chan." His voice and eyes were warm, but she felt a surprising pang of disappointment. She'd wanted to make a reasoned, considered choice, but she felt a little cold now that it'd happened.

Maybe she had wanted his romantic proposal, his persuasive kiss. Maybe she'd wanted to tell him _yes_ and dance in the decayed garden. Maybe she'd wanted to feel that rush of emotion in her veins she'd felt the first time they were here and he'd kissed her with the weight of a promise. She pressed her lips together. "That's settled, then," she said, adjusting her glasses and turning her face away to hide her dismay.

"Nanao-chan." He touched her jaw with his fingers, gently turning her back to him. He smiled, but it was more rueful than triumphant.

Had he changed his mind? "Shunsui?"

"I know that I should say, 'that's settled' and be happy that you'll marry me, but I can't accept an answer like, 'that's settled' for marrying you."

Her brows drew together. "You can't accept it?"

"No. I know that the situation matters to you, that this is an arranged marriage for the sake of your family, and that you have logical, sensible reasons for wanting to marry me. But forget those."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"I want to ask you to marry me in my own way and have you answer me with your heart."

But that made no sense. She blinked rapidly. "What? You don't win what you've been chasing after and then throw away the victory. You'd never do that in battle."

"I know, Nanao-chan. But this isn't war. This is you and me, and our marriage. I know you have compelling motivations to pursue an arranged marriage. But I want you to choose to marry me without thinking about the money or the Ise estate or your other reasons. It matters to me how we start our lives together. That's why I want to ask in my own way, even if there are consequences."

"But you'd gotten what you wanted already. You're so—" She shook her head but curled her fingers around his large hand. Her throat was dry. She swallowed, her tongue darting out to wet her lips. He was a real romantic; he had to go this far, even if it might cost him dearly. "Ask," she said softly.

"I want you to choose to marry me because you think we'll fit together, because you want to wake up with me and fall asleep with me and laugh with me every day." His hand cradled her cheek, his eyes intense and brilliant. "I want to marry you because I want us to be together for all of the time that we can be, and I want you to choose to marry me because you share that same desire. Will you marry me, Nanao-chan?"

Her hand wavered in his and he squeezed it gently. "Shunsui—" He watched her intently, waiting for her answer. That rush of hot, sweet emotions she'd wanted ran through her, overwhelming her hesitation. He was here with her now, and he would always be here with her if she gave him one word. "Yes," she said, one strong word followed by a shuddering breath.

"Nanao-chan." He leaned in to kiss her and her eyes slipped closed. His lips were soft on hers, his kiss light. She felt an electric tingle down her spine at the brush of his tongue against her lower lip. This was good, this was right. Her mouth opened on a sigh of relief and he deepened the kiss, his hands shifting to pull her closer.

She raised her hands to his neck, leaning into him. A bubbly mix of nerves and elation made her a little light-headed, but that was fine; he'd hold her up. She pressed closer to him and he made a sound of pleasure. She threaded her fingers into his hair, the silk of her kimono sliding smoothly against the silk of his clothes.

There was a rustling in the hedges that she heard dimly, but ignored. He pulled back from her lips slightly. "We're probably not alone, Nanao-chan."

"It could be birds," she murmured, seeking his lips again.

He kissed her for another long moment, but broke off at further rustling in the hedges. "It's not birds, sweetheart," he said into her ear.

She sighed, resting her forehead against his shoulder. He smelled of cedar and soap. "We're not going to have any privacy for months."

"I'm sure it won't be that bad, Nanao-chan. Right now your great-aunt and everyone else here has a strong interest in the outcome of this meeting, but we'll have a lot of time alone before the wedding."

Nanao shook her head. "You don't understand. Kasumi- bāchan wants the wedding to happen as soon as we can manage it. There are invitations and location scouting and food selection and seating charts and transportation and so much more—I don't have a big enough notebook for the lists." She pulled away from him, rising to pace the path in front of the bench as she ticked items off on her fingers. "It's so many things," she said, light-headed again, more than before. She bent over slightly to steady herself.

"Deep breaths, Nanao-chan." Shunsui rose and rubbed her back soothingly.

She let him tug her up into an embrace. His heartbeat was steady under her ear, and that helped to ease her own racing heart. "This is so embarrassing. I should have eaten more breakfast. A wedding is just specialized event planning. I plan events frequently for the SWA and for the Eighth Division."

"Don't worry, Nanao-chan. There are a lot of people who would say that panic is the right reaction to agreeing to marry me." She could hear the grin in his voice.

She laughed a little, and that helped too. Maybe it was too much, marriage, and then wedding itself—but if it was with him, it might be alright. She looked up at him. His smile reached all the way to his eyes. "You shouldn't look so happy. A wedding is a tremendous amount of work."

"I'm happy that you said yes, Nanao-chan. That's why I'm smiling." He took one of her hands and slid his other to her back in a dancing posture. She moved with him when he led her into an easy waltz. "Don't worry about the wedding. I'm sure your great-aunt and my mother will help a lot."

"That's part of what will make it so much work," she said, raising her brows. But the mention of Kasumi reminded her of the concession her great-aunt wanted. It was awkward to ask, but Kasumi thought it was important. "Kasumi- bāchan wanted me to ask you if you could have the papers prepared for my access to your financial accounts for the wedding day. I know it might be unseemly to ask now, but—"

"It's fine to ask, Nanao-chan," he interrupted, his voice easy and relaxed. "I'll have the papers drawn up tomorrow." He leaned close to murmur in her ear. "I want to come back here when it's restored. I want dance with you when the air is sweet with the perfume of flowers and the path is fine stone under Nanao-chan's lovely feet."

Tenderness washed over her. He didn't care about the money, he never had. This had always been about her happiness and their future to him. She raised her hand from his shoulder to trace his jaw. He stopped dancing, nearly stopped breathing. His beard was soft under her fingers. "I'm glad that you came to the first match meeting. And I'm glad that you're here now." She kissed him, fitting her lips to his carefully, feeling the weight of the promise between them.

He returned her kiss with equal care. "I'm glad too, Nanao-chan." He pressed his lips to hers again, but broke the kiss too soon, leaning his forehead against hers. "We're not alone."

"If there's a telescope over there, I will deliver my strongest reprimands."

He laughed, kissing her quickly and then stepping away to stand beside her, his arm around her waist. "Let's go back to the house before they can't restrain their curiosity anymore and they fall out of the hedge trying to get a clear view. We'll be alone soon, Nanao-chan. Within a few hours, I'm sure."


End file.
